MASSEY'S 
GARDEN  BOOK 

FOR  THB 

SOUTHERN  STATES 


SB321.5 
M30 

1910  W.F.  MASSEY 


Sty*  &  21  Bill  ffiibraro 

Nortlf  (Sarnlina  §>tat? 
Imwraitjj 


SB321.5 


1910 


This  book  was  presented  by 
DR.  DOROTHY  PARK  GRIFFIN 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  DATE 
INDICATED  BELOW  AND  IS  SUB- 
JECT  TO  AN  OVERDUE  FINE  AS 
POSTED  AT  THE  CIRCULATION 
DESK. 


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iv 


Massey's  Garden  Book 

For  the  Southern  States 


By  W.  F.  MASSEY.  Sc.  D. 


The  Progressive  Farmer  Company 

PUBLISHERS 
Ralegh  Birmingham  M«mphis  Dslka 


f^OD  Almight})  first  planted  a  garden; 
U  and  indeed,  it  is  the  purest  of  human 
pleasures;  it  is  the  greatest  refreshment  to 
the  spirits  of  man  without  which  buildings 
and  palaces  are  but  gross  handiworks;  and  a 
man  shall  ever  see,  thai,  when  ages  grow  to 
civility  and  elegancy,  men  come  to  build 
stately;  sooner  than  to  garden  finely;  as  if 
gardening  were  the  greatest  perfection. — 
Lord  Bacon:  Essay  on  Gardens, 


COPYRIGHT,  1910,  BY 
THE  PROGRESSIVE   FARMER  COMPANY 


CONTENTS 

Page 
1— THE  GARDEN  SOIL  AND  EQUIPMENT 

The  Garden  Soil   7 

Manuring   and    Fertilizing    7 

Rotation  of  Garden  Crops   8 

Sashes  and  Frames 9 

Cold  Frames  and  Hot  Beds   11 

Using  Sashes  and  Frames   12 

Small    Greenhouses    14 

Garden    Implements    15 

II-HOW  TO  GROW  THE  VARIOUS  VEGETABLES 

Artichokes     18  Kohl-Rabi    36 

Asparagus     18  Leek     36 

Beans     20  Lettuce    36 

Beets     ...   22  Mustard    37 

Brussels   Sprouts    22  0kra     37 

Cabbage     tt  «•  fl.  ■jo 

Cantaloupes    25  °mon?    f. 

Carrots     26  Parsnips      41 

Cauliflower    27  ^rsley     .. 42 

Celery     28  Peas— Garden     42 

Chard    30  Peppers     44 

Chicory    33  Potatoes— Irish     44 

Collards     30  Radishes    47 

Corn     31  Rhubarb    48 

Cucumber     31  Salsify    48 

Egg    Plant    32  Spinach    49 

Endive    33  Squash    49 

Herbs    34  Tomatoes    50 

Horse-Radish     35  Turnips     53 

Kale     35  Watermelons 53 

m-WHAT  TO  DO  IN  THE  GARDEN  EACH  MONTH 

January     55    July 79 

February     59    August     83 

March     61    September    86 

April    65    October     89 

May     71    November    92 

June    75    December     96 

IV-SMALL  FRUITS 

Strawberries     98 

Dewberries  and  Blackberries   99 

Raspberries     100 

Currants  and   Gooseberries    101 

Grapes    101 

V-PLANT  DISEASES  AND  INSECTS  104 

VT-HANDY  REFERENCE  TABLES 

Standard  Varieties  of  Vegetables 110 

Storing  Vegetables    Ill 

Quantities  of  Seed  to  100  Feet  of  Row HI 

Number  of  Plants  to  Acre   113 

Vegetable   Planting  Table   114 

Fall  and  Winter  Garden:     How  to  Have  One  118 

What  to  Plant  in  the  Garden  Each  Month  118 

Plant  Diseases  and  Their  Treatment   120 

Insect  Enemies  and  How  to  Conquer  Them 122 

Spraying  and  Spray  Formulas   123 

Bulletins   on    Garden    Crops 124 

Flowtr  Planting  Table  125 

HOW  TO  HAVE  A  PRETTY  LAWN 127 


BLESS  THE  LITTLE  GARDENS 

Lord  God  in  Paradise, 

Trembling  and  adventuring, 

Look   upon  our   sowing; 

A  miracle  of  green. 

Bless   the   little   gardens 

Send  such  grace 

And  the  good  green  growing! 

As  you  know, 

Give  us  sun, 

To  keep  it  safe 

Give  us  rain, 

And  make  it  grow! 

Bless  the  orchards 

And   the  grain! 

Lord  God  in  Paradise, 

For  the  wonder  of  the  seed, 

Lord  God  in  Paradise, 

Wondering,  we  praise  you,  while 

Please  bless  the  beans  and  peas, 

We  tell  you  of  our  need. 

Give  us   corn  full  on  the  ear— 

Look  down  from  Paradise, 

We    will    praise    thee,    Lord,    for 

Look  upon  our  sowing, 

these! 

Bless  the  little  gardens 

Bless   the  blossom 

And   the  good   green  growing! 

And  the  root, 

Give  us  sun, 

Bless  the  seed 

Give  us  rain, 

And  the  fruit! 

Bless   the  orchards 

And  the  grain! 

Lord  God  in  Paradise, 

—Louise   DriscoL   la 

Over  my  brown  field  if  seen, 

New  York   Times. 

PREFACE 

FOR  YEARS  past,  many  readers  of  The  Progressive  Farmer 
have  been  asking  me  to  prepare  a  garden  book.  Therefore, 
in  the  intervals  of  a  very  busy  life,  I  have  prepared  this 
little  volume.  It  is  not  intended  to  be  a  treatise  on  horticulture, 
but  is  simply  a  little  handbook  for  daily  guidance  in  making  the 
farm  garden. 

I  hope  it  may  have  some  influence  in  promoting  all-the- 
year-round  gardening  in  the  South  and  aid  in  abolishing  the 
old-style  garden  which  is  surrendered  to  weeds  and  dead  corn- 
stalks in  the  fall ;  and  will  make  it  possible  instead  to  have  gar- 
dens yielding  their  products  without  cessation. 

"Hog  and  hominy'*  and  black-eye  peas  are  good  things,  but 
they  do  not  furnish  the  healthful  variety  of  food  which  the 
garden  should  enable  any  farm  family  to  have.  A  frame  and  a 
few  glass  sashes  will  furnish  plenty  of  lettuce  all  winter,  and 
radishes,  too,  and  the  open  garden  should  supply  spinach,  kale, 
leeks,  parsnips,  salsify,  carrots,  cabbages  and  collards  (the  latter 
buried  where  they  grew).  These,  with  the  stored  onions,  pota- 
toes (Irish  and  sweet)  and  the  canned  fruits  and  vegetables  of 
summer  growth,  will  give  the  table  of  the  Southern  farmer 
such  a  bounteous  supply  of  food  that  he  will  hardly  be  able  to 
tell  the  difference  between  summer  and  winter  garden. 

With  all  these  things  easily  available,  there  is  no  need  for 
the  Southern  farmer  to  live  all  winter  on  salt  pork  and  bacon, 
corn  bread  and  black-eye  peas.  So,  here's  for  an  "all-the-year- 
garden." 

W.  F.  Masssy. 


I— THE  GARDEN  AND  ITS  EQUIPMENT 

The  Garden  Soil 

IT  SHOULD  hardly  be  necessary  to  say  that  the  garden  soil 
must  be  well-drained  and  fertile.  A  soil  inclining  more  to 
sand  than  clay,  a  mellow  sandy  loam  with  a  clay  subsoil, 
is  the  most  desirable  character  of  soil  for  vegetable  growing. 
But  the  heavy  clay  soils  may  be  made  very  productive  by  getting 
them  more  mellow  through  the  turning  under  of  vegetable 
growth  and  the  use  of  heavy  applications  of  stable  manure. 

There  are  three  things  essential  to  the  germination  of 
seed,  and  if  any  one  of  these  is  absent  there  will  be  no  germina- 
tion. These  essentials  are  (1)  a  proper  degree  of  heat,  (2) 
moisture  and  (3)  the  presence  of  the  oxygen  of  the  air.  The 
required  degree  of  heat  varies  a  great  deal  in  different  plants. 
The  seed  of  the  English  pea  will  germinate  when  the  soil 
is  but  a  few  degrees  above  the  freezing  point,  while  seed  of 
corn,  tomatoes  and  other  tender  plants  would  fail  to  grow  and 
probably  perish  entirely.  All  the  hardy  vegetables  will  grow  at 
a  low  temperature  and  hence,  as  a  rule,  should  be  sown  early ; 
for  the  more  resistant  a  plant  is  to  cold  the  more  it  is  liable  to 
suffer  in  our  summer  heat. 

To  push  forward  the  tender  plants  like  tomatoes,  egg  plant 
and  peppers,  therefore,  we  must  make  the  heat  needed  for  their 
growth  by  artificial  means  in  hotbeds  under  glass  sashes  or  in 
greenhouses  heated  by  furnace  or  boiler. 

Manuring  and  Fertilizing  the  Garden 

In  many  old  gardens  where  a  liberal  quantity  of  stable 
*nanure  has  been  applied  every  year,  the  soil  gets  an  excess  of 
nitrogen,  and  vegetables  grown  for  their  underground  parts 
run  to  top  and  become  unproductive.  Then  the  owner  says 
that  his  soil  has  "gotten  too  rich  to  make  potatoes/'  etc.  The 
fact  is  that  it  has  simply  gotten  unbalanced.  The  foods  mainly 
needed  in  the  making  of  tubers  on  the  potatoes  are  phosphorus 
and  potassium,  and  if  there  is  a  due  supply  of  these  in  the  soil 
potatoes  will  be  made  no  matter  how  large  the  tops  grow. 


8  MASSEY  S  GARDEN  BOOK 

But  depending  on  stable  manure  alone  leads  to  an  excess 
of  nitrogen  and  a  rank  growth  without  corresponding  produc- 
tion of  roots  and  tubers.  The  remedy  is  not  to  stop  the  manure, 
but  to  supply  what  it  mainly  lacks.  In  my  own  garden  I  manure 
very  heavily  in  the  fall,  and  in  the  spring  add  acid  phosphate  or 
raw  bone  meal  at  rate  of  1,000  pounds  an  acre. 

Where  there  is  not  an  adequate  amount  of  stable  manure, 
about  the  best  general  fertilizer  we  can  use  is  a  mixture  of  equal 
parts  of  cotton  seed  meal  and  acid  phosphate.  This  will  give  a 
liberal  amount  of  phosphoric  acid,  and  1  per  cent  or  more  of 
potash  from  the  meal.  This,  if  used  in  liberal  quantity,  will 
make  a  good  fertilizer  for  nearly  all  garden  crops. 

The  great  importance  of  stable  manure  is  due  to  its  humus- 
making  character,  and  when  to  this  we  add  all  the  garden 
refuse  which  may  be  rotted  down  in  a  heap  each  year,  the  soil 
is  in  the  best  possible  condition  to  use  additional  commercial 
fertilizers,  because  of  its  greater  capacity  for  retaining  moisture 
to  dissolve  them. 

With  a  good  rotation  of  humus-making  crops  in  the  outer 
truck  patch,  we  can  use  the  commercial  fertilizers  to  advantage 
there  and  save  the  stable  manure  for  the  garden  proper,  since 
cowpeas  and  crimson  clover  will  abundantly  supply  the  humus- 
making  material  otherwise  obtained  from  the  stable  manure. 

Rotation  of  Garden  Crops 

Rotation  of  crops  in  the  garden  is  just  as  important  as  the 
rotation  of  farm  crops.  Continuous  planting  of  land  in  the 
same  or  similar  crops  will  lead  to  an  increase  of  the  diseases 
and  insects  peculiar  to  that  crop.  As  a  general  rule,  with  some 
exceptions,  crops  grown  for  their  roots  should  follow  crops 
grown  for  their  tops  and  vice  versa.  The  only  garden  crop  I 
know  which  is  better  grown  for  some  years  on  the  same  land  is 
onions.  Properly  manured  and  cleanly  cultivated,  onions  seem 
to  prefer  to  be  kept  for  several  years  in  the  same  soil. 

Hence,  it  is  always  well  to  make  a  planting  plan  for  the 
garden  every  spring,  and  keep  it  for  reference  the  next  spring, 
so  as  to  know  just  where  each  vegetable  was  planted  the  spring 
before — and  then  what  followed  it  the  same  summer  and  fall ; 


SASHES  AND  FRAMES  * 

for  in  the  South  every  garden  plan  should  be  for  an  all-the- 
year-round  garden,  and  without  the  plan  it  is  hard  to  keep  a 
record  of  the  various  plantings. 

Beans  and  peas,  being  legumes,  will  return  a  considerable 
amount  of  nitrogen  to  the  soil  if  their  tops  are  buried  after  the 
crop  is  gathered. 

While  in  the  larger  truck  patch  we  can  alternate  the  crops 
with  legumes  like  peas  and  crimson  clover,  the  garden  that  is 
properly  kept  at  work  all  the  year  must  depend  for  its  humus 
on  heavy  applications  of  manure  and  the  return  to  the  soil  of 
all  vegetable  refuse  after  it  has  been  rotted  in  a  compost. 

But  we  can  follow  the  onions  that  ripen  in  June  with  peas 
and  turn  these  under  for  planting  onions  again  in  the  fall.  In 
this  way,  with  a  liberal  use  of  phosphate,  the  onion  land  may 
be  kept  improving.  Or  if  the  black-eye  peas  are  not  wanted  in 
the  garden,  we  can  use  snap  bean  vines  for  digging  under  after 
gathering  the  beans. 

Every  Good  Gardener  Must  Have  Sashes  and  Frames 

No  garden  is  complete  for  year-round  work  without  some 
glass  sashes  and  frames.  Cotton  cloth  on  the  frames  is  a  poor 
substitute  for  glass,  and  in  the  long  run  costs  more.  Frames 
covered  with  cotton  cloth  will  answer  for  hardening  tender 
plants  in  the  spring,  but  for  regular  fall  and  winter  work,  the 

glass  sashes  are  far  supe- 
j^-Mf*2_ — — - —  [j         nor. 

'^^^^~~-^^^ ~~wfo^  Sashes  are  made  three 

j^pki"  >   feet  wide  and  six  feet  long. 

^H  1  The  best  sashes  are  made  of 

I  clear-heart  cypress  lumber. 
^m^^^^m^^^^^^^m^^  They  are  made  either  for  a 

CU)TH-COVER£D  FRAME  f^f  ^^  <?f  %}*SS  0r  f?r 

two  layers,  the  latter  mak- 
ing a  dead  air  space  between  them,  and  thus  causing  the  sashes 
to  be  more  resistant  to  cold. 


10 


MASSEY  S  GARDEN  BOOK 


DOUBLE-GLASS  COVERED  FRAME 


The  frames  for  the  sashes  are  made  six  feet  wide  and  as 

long  as  needed,  being  ex- 
tended so  as  to  embrace  as 
many  3x6  feet  units  as  are 
wanted.  Market  gardeners 
make  them  of  inch  lumber 
nailed  to  posts  set  in  the 
ground,  the  back  or  north 
side  being  about  12  inches  high  and  the  front  or  south  side  10 
inches.  For  the  home  garden  I  have  found  it  better  to  use 
small  portable  frames  so  that  it  is  easy  to  repeat  a  crop  by 
simply  moving  the  frame  to  a  fresh  spot.  My  frames  are 
made  for  three  of  the  3x6  feet  sashes.  Between  each  pair  of 
sashes  a  1  x  3  inch  crossbar  is  dovetailed  into  the  sides  of  the 
frame,  but  not  nailed,  so  that  it  can  be  slipped  out  in  preparing 
the  soil  of  the  frame  or  in  making  a  hotbed.  In  the  middle  of 
this  crossbar  is  nailed  a  half -inch  strip  as  a  parting  strip,  mak- 
ing a  slide  for  the  sashes. 

i  Marketmen  use  no  crossbar,  merely  resting  the  sashes  on 
the  sides  of  the  frame.  But  this  necessitates  a  man  on  each 
side  of  the  frame  to  move  a  sash,  while  with  the  slides  one  man 
can  easily  open  the  frame  by  sliding  the  sash  up  or  down. 

SINGLE-GLASS  FRAME 


—From  Clemson  College  Bulletin. 

Single  Glass  Frame— This  illustration  shows  a  hotbed  which  is  amply  large  for  tha 
family  garden.     The  frame  will  accommodate  four  sash.     The  frame  is  6x12  ft 


COLD  FRAMES  AND  HOT  BEDS  H 

The  double-glazed  sashes  are  far  more  costly  than  the  sin- 
gle-glazed ones  and  are  heavier  to  handle.  But  with  a  frame 
well  banked  with  earth  on  the  outside,  and  the  crossbars 
to  stop  the  cracks  between  the  sashes,  no  frost  will  get  inside  at 
a  zero  temperature,  and  we  can  grow  things  in  the  dead  of  win- 
ter that  will  be  hard  to  grow  with  single  sashes  unless  well 
covered  at  night  with  straw  mats. 

In  the  early  use  of  the  double-glazed  sashes,  one  great  dif- 
ficulty appeared.  The  dust  would  inevitably  blow  in  between 
the  layers  of  glass  and  would  so  obscure  it  that  the  sashes  be- 
came almost  useless  because  of  being  so  darkened.  This  diffi- 
culty has  been  solved  in  the  Callahan  duo-glazed  sashes,  which 
are  made  so  that  it  is  easy  to  remove  a  pane  or  two  of  glass 
and  wash  the  interior.  The  weight  of  the  duo-glazed  sashes  is 
also  an  advantage,  for  light  sashes  are  often  blown  off  the 
frames  in  high  winds. 

"Cold  Frames"  and  "Hotbeds" ;  How  Distinguished — The 
frame  and  sashes  when  used  simply  on  a  bed  of  fertile  soil  con- 
stitute what  is  called  a  "cold  frame."  Cold  frames  get  no  heat 
except  from  the  sun.  A  frame  under  which  there  is  a  deep  bed 
of  fermenting  manure  is  called  a  "hotbed" 

Hotbeds  are  used  for  starting  tender  plants  of  such  things 
as  tomatoes,  tgg  plant  and  pepper  in  late  winter  so  as  to  get 
the  products  earlier  than  otherwise  could  be  done.  It  is  well 
to  have  several  frames  of  the  three-sash  size,  as  they  can  be 
used  either  as  cold  frames  or  on  hotbeds,  as  needed. 

To  make  a  hotbed,  dig  a  pit  20  inches  deep  and  6  inches 
wider  each  way  than  the  frame  that  is  to  be  used  on  it.  Then 
pile  a  lot  of  fresh  manure  nearby,  and  when  it  begins  to  steam, 
turn  it  over  and  repile  it.  Then,  when  it  heats  again,  put  it  into 
the  pit,  tramping  and  packing  it  down  firmly  until  the  pit  is 
filled.  Then  place  the  frame  on  it  and  bank  all  around  the  out- 
side with  manure. 

In  the  frame  put  4  inches  of  fine  compost  as  used  in 
frames.  Stick  a  thermometer  in  this,  and  put  on  the  sashes 
with  a  little  opening  at  the  top,  and  watch  the  rise  of  heat.  Do 
not  sow  the  seed  when  the  first  rank  heat  is  on,  but  wait  until  it 
begins  to  decline.  When  it  has  fallen  to  85  degrees,  you  can 
sow  the  seed. 


12  massey's  garden  eook 

One  of  the  principal  uses  of  the  cold  frame  is  for  growing 
head  lettuce  in  fall,  winter  and  early  spring.  They  can  also  be 
used  for  blooming  the  flowering  bulbs  in  winter,  blooming  vio- 
lets clear  of  frost,  and  should  also  be  used  for  hardening  off 
the  tender  plants  started  in  the  hotbed,  since  it  is  never  well  to 
transplant  directly  from  hotbed  to  open  ground. 

Using  Sashes  and  Frames 

It  may  be  well  to  indicate  in  a  concrete  way  just  how 
frames  are  used : 

Lettuce  in  Cold  Frames — In  the  fall  one  or  more  frames 
are  planted  in  lettuce.  Seed  of  the  Big  Boston  lettuce  are  sown 
early  in  September,  and  in  October  are  set  8  x  10  inches  apart 
in  frames.  The  soil  in  the  frames  is  made  of  a  compost  of 
manure  and  grass  sods  which  has  been  cut  in  early  spring  and 
built  up  in  layers  with  fresh  manure.  During  the  summer  the 
pile  has  been  cut  down  and  repiled  twice  till  the  compost  has 
well  rotted.  At  each  turning  a  goodly  amount  of  raw  bone 
meal  has  been  sprinkled  through  the  heap.  This  compost  is  6 
inches  deep  in  the  frames. 

During  the  growth  of  the  lettuce  a  light  sprinkling  of  ni- 
trate of  soda  is  made  between  the  rows,  and  the  frames  are 
kept  well  watered.  The  sashes  are  not  put  on  till  the  nights 
get  frosty,  and  in  all  sunny  weather  air  is  given  by  slipping 
down  the  sashes  more  or  less.  This  crop  comes  orT  about 
Christmas  or  New  Year's. 

If  it  is  desirable  to  replant  the  same  sashes  with  lettuce,  a 
fresh  spot  is  manured,  and  the  frame  removed  and  set  with 
plants  that  have  been  sown  later  or  sown  in  another  frame  in 
October. 

Beets  and  Radishes — Or  the  frame  can  now  be  freshly  fer- 
tilized and  at  once  replanted  with  beets  and  radishes,  using  seed 
of  the  Early  Egyptian  beet  and  the  turnip-rooted  radish,  mak- 
ing the  rows  6  inches  apart  and  planting  alternately  beets  and 
radishes.  The  radishes  will  come  out  by  February  and  the 
beets  will  have  12-inch  rows  and  should  be  thinned  to  3  inches 
or  more  apart. 


USING  SASHES  AND  FRAMES  13 

Early  in  March  the  beets  are  gradually  exposed  to  the  air 
and  by  the  middle  of  the  month  the  frame  is  removed  to  an- 
other place  to  be  used  in  transplanting  the  tomato  plants  that 
have  been  started  in  a  hotbed  or  greenhouse,  so  that  they  can 
be  grown  strong  and  hardened  off  for  transplanting  to  the  open 
garden  in  April. 

Cauliflower  in  Frames — In  October  another  frame  can  be 
prepared  in  a  similar  manner,  and  cauliflower  plants  from  seed 
sown  in  September  set  six  plants  to  a  sash.  The  space  between 
these  is  then  set  with  a  close-heading  lettuce  like  the  Tennis 
Ball  or  Belmont.  This  lettuce,  too,  will  come  out  by  the  first 
of  January,  and  the  cauliflower  let  grow,  and  aided  by  applica- 
tions of  nitrate  of  soda,  will  be  getting  up  near  the  glass  by 
March.  Then,  like  the  beets,  they  are  hardened  off  and  the 
frame  removed  by  the  middle  of  the  month,  for  it  is  necessary 
to  transplant  tomato  and  other  tender  plants  into  the  frames  in 
order  to  get  them  strong  and  hardy.  As  already  said,  it  is 
never  well  to  transplant  to  the  open  ground  directly  from  a 
hotbed. 

Tomatoes — To  start  tomatoes  for  early  fruiting,  the  hot- 
bed should  be  made  and  sown  ten  weeks  before  it  is  safe  to  set 
plants  in  the  open  ground  in  your  section.  Then  by  the  middle 
of  March  usually  the  plants  will  be  large  enough  to  transplant 
into  cold  frames.  In  the  frames  we  set  them  4  inches  apart 
each  way  and  deeper  than  they  grew  in  the  hotbed,  and  then 
give  close  attention  to  airing  and  watering.  Sometime  before  it 
is  time  to  set  them  out,  we  gradually  expose  them  to  the  air  to 
harden  the  plants.  I  like  always  to  get  tomato  plants  so  hard- 
ened that  the  stems  are  dark  purplish  instead  of  bright  green. 
This  is  a  sign  of  hardiness  and  the  plants  will  stand  exposure 
better  than  if  kept  so  warm  that  the  stems  remain  a  bright 
green. 

Miscellaneous  Uses  for  Frames — Other  plants  can  be  for- 
warded in  the  cold  frames.  By  filling  4-inch  pots  or  even 
strawberry  boxes  with  good  compost  and  packing  them  in  the 
frames,  planting  seed  of  cucumbers,  cantaloupes,  watermelons, 
lima  beans  and  other  things  in  the  boxes  or  pots  direct,  they 
can  then  be  transplanted  when  the  weather  is  warm  without 
disturbing  the  roots. 


14  massey's  garden  book 

In  the  hotbed,  after  the  tomatoes  are  transplanted  to  the 
frames,  seed  of  egg  plant  and  peppers  can  be  sown,  and  these 
transplanted  later,  for  the  time  for  sowing  tomatoes  is  too  early 
for  the  egg  plant,  which  need  more  heat  and  sunlight.  And 
except  for  the  market  gardener  the  peppers  are  not  needed  so 
very  early.    I  usually  start  egg  plant  and  peppers  in  March. 

Value  of  a  Small  Greenhouse 

Every  home  garden  would  be  better  fitted  for  work  by 
having  a  little  greenhouse  in  which  to  start  the  spring  plants 
early  and  to  have  some  flowers  in  winter.  I  have  one  of  the 
smallest.  This  is  a  little  house  attached  to  the  rear  of  my  of- 
fice, and  into  which  I  can  walk  in  two  steps  from  the  desk 
where  I  write.  It  is  only  6  feet  wide  and  10  feet  long.  In  the 
cellar,  under  the  office,  is  a  little  hot  water  boiler  and  from  this 
the  hot  water  flows  in  a  horizontal  coil  of  six  pipes,  each  9  feet 
long,  hanging  under  the  table  in  the  greenhouse.  The  whole 
affair  including  the  boiler  and  piping  did  not  cost  more  than 
$100.  It  is  a  convenient  place  to  work  and  saves  the  making 
of  a  hotbed.  One  hod  of  coal  runs  it  for  a  day  and  maintains 
a  heat  of  60  degrees  on  cold  nights.  In  fall  and  winter  I  grow 
flowers  in  it,  and  in  February  start  my  tomato  seed  in  a  shallow 
box  there,  and  pot  them  in  little  2^-inch  pots,  later  transplant- 
ing them  to  the  frames  outside  to  get  strong  and  hardy.  In 
this  way  I  get  ripe  tomatoes  early  in  June.  The  egg  plants  and 
peppers,  too,  are  started  there  in  March  and  potted  off. 

Almost  any  farm  garden  could  have  such  a  little  house  for 
the  early  plants  and  the  flowers,  and  it  is  far  more  convenient 
than  stooping  over  a  frame  or  hotbed  in  the  cold  outside.  One 
can  also  make  sure  of  the  temperature.  The  little  boiler  is 
filled  up  with  coal  at  bedtime,  after  getting  the  pipes  hot,  and 
the  draft  slowed  down.  No  matter  how  cold,  I  never  look  at 
it  till  the  next  morning  and  always  find  it  all  right. 

Devoted  entirely  to  early  vegetable  plants,  a  greenhouse  as 
small  as  this  will  furnish  plants  enough  for  twenty-five  sashes 
on  the  frames  in  spring.  It  is  always  a  great  pleasure  to  get 
ahead  of  others  with  the  early  garden  products,  and  in  my  case 
I  grow  a  great  many  tomato  and  egg  plants  ,etc,  that  meet  with 


GARDEN  IMPLEMENTS  15 

ready  sale  and  about  pay  the  expenses  of  growing  my  plants 
and  flowers.  I  have  grown  cucumbers  in  winter  and  tomatoes 
and  snap  beans  in  mid-winter,  and  have  sold  the  tomatoes  for 
25  cents  a  pound  and  the  cucumbers  from  75  cents  to  $1  per 
dozen.  For  lettuce  we  do  not  need  the  heated  houses  they  use 
in  the  North  because  we  can  grow  it  just  as  well  in  the  cold 
frames  under  glass,  but  tomatoes  and  cucumbers  and  snap  beans 
need  a  warm  house. 

With  such  a  little  greenhouse  and  plenty  of  sashes  on  the 
portable  frames  such  as  I  have  described  one  can  do  much  to 
keep  the  garden  profitably  at  work  all  the  year  round.  Then 
by  gradually  learning  the  use  of  a  heated  glass  structure  one 
may  find  that  it  will  pay  to  build  larger  and  grow  some  forced 
products  that  will  sell  profitably. 

Few  people  in  the  South  realize  the  vast  extent  in  which 
vegetables  are  forced  in  winter  in  the  North.  All  along  the 
Lake  Shore  region  in  Michigan,  Illinois,  Ohio  and  New  York 
there  are  immense  ranges  of  greenhouses  devoted  to  the  grow- 
ing of  lettuce,  cucumbers,  tomatoes,  etc.,  in  winter.  Talking 
with  one  of  the  growers  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  who  has  twelve 
acres,  of  which  six  are  covered  with  heated  glass  structures,  he 
told  me  that  his  gross  sales  from  those  twelve  acres  amounted 
to  $30,000  annually,  and  after  paying  the  heavy  expense  of 
heating  six  acres  by  steam,  and  paying  a  force  of  skilled  hands, 
he  cleared  $10,000  a  year.  Some  day  this  business  may  de- 
velop in  the  upper  South,  where  the  local  conditions  are  far 
better  than  in  the  North,  because  we  have  more  sunshine  in 
winter  and  less  cold. 

Garden  Implements 

Out  in  the  general  truck  patch  where  the  Irish  and  sweet 
potatoes,  cantaloupes  and  watermelons  are  grown,  we  can  use 
the  horse  or  mule  and  the  usual  farm  implements.  But  in  the 
garden  proper  we  plant  too  close  and  keep  the  ground  so  con- 
tinually occupied  that  there  is  often  no  room  for  the  horse. 

1  In  my  garden  the  vacant  spaces  only  come  here  and  there 
and  are  soon  dug  up  again  and  replanted.  Then,  too,  I  cover 
the  whole  soil  with  manure  in  the  fall  and  in  the  spring  add 


is 


massey's  garden  book 


liberally  of  acid  phosphate  sowed  broadcast.  Hence,  we  must 
make  every  foot  pay,  and  cannot  have  room  for  any  four-footed 
animal. 

Even  when  grown  by  the  acre,  there  are  some  crops,  like 
onions,  that  do  not  pay  to  plant  wide  enough  for  horse  cultiva- 
tion, since  the  heaviest  sort  of  fertilization  is  demanded  and 
the  onion  crop  is  one  that  demands  that  the  grower  get  right 
down  on  knees  and  constantly  pull  every  spear  of  grass  and 
every  weed  from  the  rows  by  hand. 

Therefore,  we  need  hand  implements  in  the  garden,  and 
these  are  now  so  plentiful  that  no  one  can  afford  to  garden  with 


GARDEN  WHEEL  PLOW 
WITH  ATTACHMENTS 

No  one  knows  until  he  has  tried  it 
how  much  more  rapidly  and  satis- 
factorily a  garden  can  be  cultivated 
with  a  wheel  plow  than  with  old 
fashioned  hoes. 


the  old-fashioned  hoe.  The  garden  plow,  with  a  single  wheel, 
is  a  very  useful  implement.  It  is  simply  a  little  plow  with  a 
wheel  ahead,  and  is  also  very  useful  in  running  out  rows  for 
planting,  and  one  can  usually  get  expert  enough  with  it  to  run 
a  straight  row  without  a  line. 

Then  there  are  garden  seed  drills  which  do  very  good  work. 
Some  of  these  used  by  onion  growers  sow  two  rows  at  once. 
Others  are  combined  machines  being  drills  and  cultivators  both. 


SARI/EN  IMPLEMENTS  1? 

My  own  preference  is  for  a  drill  that  is  used  for  drilling  alone, 
and  while  the  two-wheel  cultivators  are  good,  we  can  run  closer 
to  the  rows  and  do  better  work  with  a  cultivator  having  one 
high  wheel.  I  have  found  that  the  low  wheels  will  sometimes 
push  in  light  and  well-prepared  soil  instead  of  turning. 

I  have  used  the  Norcross  cultivator  hoes  several  years,  and 
while  I  have  a  two-wheel  cultivator,  I  find  that  I  am  more  apt 
to  use  the  cultivator  hoe,  which  now  has  been  attached  to  a 
wheel  after  the  style  of  the  garden  plow.  With  the  handled 
cultivator  hoe,  one  works  backwards  pulling  it,  and  hence  leaves 
no  tracks  as  in  pushing  the  wheel  cultivator. 

I  use  the  garden  plow  always  for  laying  off  rows  and  sel- 
dom use  a  garden  line,  as  I  can  usually  sight  and  run  a  straight 
row.  If  you  want  to  have  a  real  garden  and  one  that  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  cultivate,  do  not  depend  on  the  old  cotton  hoe,  but 
get  the  improved  garden  implements  which  will  enable  you  to 
do  the  work  easily  and  in  far  less  time  than  with  a  hoe. 


II—  HOW  TO  GROW  THE  VARIOUS  VEGETABLES 

Artichokes 

THERE  are  two  very  different  species  of  plants  grown  un- 
der the  common  name  of  artichoke.  Cynara  Scolymus 
is  the  Globe  artichoke.  It  is  a  hardy  perennial  plant, 
which  is  increased  either  by  suckers  or  seed.  The  part  of  the 
plant  eaten  is  the  unopened  flower  head.  The  other  species  is 
Helianthus  Tuberosa,  called  Jerusalem  artichoke.  Its  tubers 
resemble  to  some  extent  those  of  the  Irish  potato,  and  are 
often  made  into  pickles,  and  more  generally  planted  for  hogs 
to  gather  in  winter.  Patches  of  these  are  often  found  as  weeds 
in  old  gardens. 

Asparagus 

From  time  immemorial  the  practice  has  been  to  sow  seed 
of  asparagus  in  nursery  rows  and  transplant  them  to  the  per- 
manent bed  after  one  year's  growth.  The  transplanting  of  any 
plant  is  a  check  to  its  growth,  and  retards  to  some  extent  its 
development.  I  proved  many  years  ago  that  the  transplanting 
of  asparagus  roots  is  not  only  needless,  but  retards  the  crop  a 
year,  at  least.  Then  it  is  far  more  costly  to  buy,  or  grow,  roots 
for  transplanting  than  it  is  to  grow  the  plants  from  the  seed 
right  where  they  are  to  remain. 

One  reason  for  the  general  practice  of  transplanting  has 
been  the  idea  that  the  roots  must  be  very  deep  in  the  ground, 
so  that  the  shoots  can  be  cut  well  below  the  ground  with  a 
long  white  portion.  But  the  consumers  have  found  out  that 
this  asparagus,  partly  white,  is  always  hard  and  tough  below  the 
ground,  and  the  demand  has  increased  for  the  tender  green 
shoots,  which  we  all  know  are  tender. 

It  is  well,  however,  to  get  the  roots  well  into  the  ground 
since  in  their  growth  the  tendency  is  to  get  nearer  and  nearer 
the  surface.  But  it  is  far  cheaper  and  better  to  grow  the  crop 
from  seed  sown  right  where  the  bed  is  to  remain.  It  is  better 
because  you  can  get  cuttings  from  the  undisturbed  roots  a  year 
sooner  than  you  can  from  the  transplanting.    A  good  deal  has, 

18 


ASPARAGUS  1» 

been  written  about  varieties  of  asparagus,  but  the  main  thing 
in  getting  fat  shoots  is  heavy  manuring.  Feed,  more  than  va- 
riety, makes  the  asparagus  good.  It  will  grow  after  a  fashion 
in  poor  soil,  but  will  not  make  big  stout  shoots. 

Being  a  permanent  crop,  occupying  the  ground  for  many 
years,  the  location  of  the  asparagus  bed  should  be  at  one  end 
of  the  garden  out  of  the  way  of  the  annual  crops  and  along  with 
the  rhubarb  and  other  perennial  crops.  For  an  ordinary  family 
two  or  three  rows  about  50  feet  long  will  furnish  an  abundance 
in  season. 

Prepare  the  bed  by  very  deep  breaking,  stuffing  with  stable 
manure  and  acid  phosphate  very  liberally.  Then  make  trenches 
15  inches  deep  and  e>y2  to  4  feet  apart.  Fill  these  half  full  of 
fine  well-rotted  manure.  Cover  with  1  or  2  inches  of  soil  and 
sow  the  seed  thinly  in  rows  in  February  or  March. 

As  the  plants  get  a  few  inches  high,  thin  them  to  2  feet 
apart  in  the  rows,  and  gradually  work  the  soil  to  them  as  they 
grow,  till  level.  Keep  cleanly  cultivated  all  summer,  and  twice 
apply  a  side  dressing  of  nitrate  of  soda  at  the  rate  of  150 
pounds  an  acre.  In  the  fall  cut  off  the  dead  tops,  and  cover  the 
whole  bed  with  stable  manure,  reinforced  with  acid  phosphate, 
and  when  potash  is  available  add  a  good  dressing  of  kainit. 

In  the  spring  dig  all  this  in  and  cultivate  as  before  and  fer- 
tilize. The  next  spring  you  can  begin  cutting.  In  fact,  I  have 
cut  a  little  of  very  good  size  the  first  spring  after  sowing  the 
seed,  but  not  much  should  be  cut  then.  Every  fall  cover  the 
bed  with  the  manure  and  acid  phosphate,  and  kainit,  when  the 
latter  is  to  be  had.  Stop  cutting  by  June  10th  and  then  culti- 
vate clean  and  fertilize  to  get  strong  crowns  for  the  next  sea- 
son. After  the  second  season  many  shoots  will  appear  that 
make  seed,  and  in  the  fall  it  is  best  to  cut  the  tops  and  burn 
them  so  that  there  will  not  be  a  growth  of  volunteer  plants  to 
thicken  up  the  bed. 

As  to  varieties,  the  only  choice  is  one  that  is  less  subject 
to  blight  than  others,  and  I  "have  found  the  Palmetto  more  re- 
sistant to  the  rust  or  blight  than  any  other.  If  blight  appears, 
spray  with  bordeaux  mixture  every  spring  before  any,  signsof 
the  disease  appear.  And  always  remember  that  heavy  feeding 
and  clean  cultivation  are  essential  to  getting  big  asparagus. 


20  massey's  garden  book 

There  is  an  old  idea  that  salt  is  very  useful  on  asparagus. 
I  suppose  this  comes  from  the  fact  of  its  naturally  growing 
along  the  salt  water.  But  if  you  can  give  it  some  kainit  every 
fall  that  will  carry  all  the  salt  that  may  be  of  any  use.  With- 
out the  kainit,  it  may  be  well  to  use  some  salt  in  the  fall  to  aid 
in  dissolving  plant  food  for  the  spring. 

Beans 

Bush  Beans — There  are  a  great  many  varieties  of  snap  or 
string  beans  offered  by  the  seedsmen,  but  two  or  three  sorts  will 
be  all  that  are  needed  in  the  family  garden.  Beans,  being  ten- 
der, are  better  planted  after  the  soil  has  gotten  warm.  But  I 
always  take  some  risk  by  planting  a  row  early  in  April.  Of 
course,  in  the  lower  South  they  are  planted  earlier,  but  where 
liable  to  returns  of  frost  in  spring  it  is  better  to  postpone  the 
general  planting  till  there  is  no  further  risk  on  this  account. 

For  the  earliest,  I  plant  a  row  of  the  Black  Valentine. 
While  there  are  better  varieties,  this  one  stands  more  chilly 
weather  than  any  I  have  tried.  If  frost  threatens  after  the 
beans  are  up,  I  take  my  garden  hand-plow  and  throw  the  soil 
over  them  till  the  cold  passes,  and  then  rake  it  off. 

It  is  a  good  plan  in  planting  the  earliest  beans  to  throw  up 
east-and-west  ridges  and  plant  the  row  of  beans  along  the  south 
side  of  these.  The  ridges  will  then  shelter  them  from  the  cold 
winds.  In  a  garden  where  stable  manure  has  been  used  freely, 
the  only  fertilizer  the  beans  will  need  is  some  acid  phosphate. 
Be  sure  to  get  healthy  seed  from  a  first-class  seedsman,  for 
there  are  a  great  many  seed  sold  that  are  affected  with  an- 
thracnose. 

The  best  green-podded  bean  I  have  tried  is  the  Burpee 
Green  Pod  Stringless.  In  my  home  garden  I  plant  a  row  of 
these  50  feet  long  and  then  another  row  as  soon  as  the  first 
planted  row  is  up,  and  so  on  during  the  whole  summer  till  the 
middle  of  August,  so  as  to  have  a  regular  succession,  and 
plenty  of  green  pods  when  frost  comes,  which  can  be  canned 
or  packed  down  in  brine  in  stone  jars  for  winter  use.  A  pint 
of  seed  will  plant  a  50- foot  row.    I  make  the  rows  2  feet  apart. 

Some  like  the  yellow  or  wax  podded  varieties.    Of  these 


BEANS 


2] 


the  Celestial  is  one  of  the  best.    It  keeps  bearing  longer  than 
most  varieties.    The  Wardwell  wax  bean  is  also  good. 

Pole  Beans — There  are  a  number  of  good  varieties  of  snap 
beans  that  need  poles  or  some  other  support.  I  grow  these  on 
chicken  wire  netting  which  is  attached  to  posts  at  the  ends  and 
middle  of  the  rows.  One  of  the  best  varieties  is  the  Berger 
Green  Pod  Stringless.  If  the  pods  are  gathered  promptly  and 
not  allowed  to  ripen,  this  variety  will  bear  clear  through  the 
summer  till  frost.  The  pods  are  flat  and  the  seeds  are  white 
and  are  good  when  dry.  Kentucky  Wonder  is  also  a  good 
variety. 

Bush  Lima  Beans — The  first  of  the  bush  lima  beans  orig- 
inated in  Campbell  County,  Virginia,  and  was  afterwards  sent 
out  by  Henderson  and  Company  as  "Henderson's  Bush  Lima." 
This  variety  belongs  to  the  small  lima  or  butter  bean  class.  It 
is  earlier  than  the  pole  variety  and  can  be  grown  just  like  snap 
beans.  Since  the  appearance  of  the  Henderson  Bush  Lima 
Bean,  there  have  been  a  number  of  varieties  introduced.  The 
best  now  on  the  market  are  varieties  of  the  potato  lima,  and  the 
latest  and  best  is  the  Fordhook  Bush  Lima  Bean.  I  plant  these 
in  rows  2l/2  feet  apart  and  drop  the  seed  6  inches  apart.  This 
variety  makes  large  pods  of  very  large  beans  when  green, 
though  the  dry  seed  look  small.  They  are  continuous  bearers, 
and  usually  are  full  of  bloom  and  green  pods  when  cut  down 
by  frost. 

Pole  Lima  Beans — The  large  white  lima  bean  is  generally 
rather  unproductive  in  the  South.  The  small  lima,  or  butter 
bean,  is  far  more  prolific  and  to  my  taste  a  better  bean.  There 
is  another  class  of  the  lima  beans,  the  large,  thick-seeded  sorts, 
or  potato  limas.  Of  this  class  the  Dreer  is  best.  The  com- 
mon method  of  growing  these  beans  is  to  set  poles  for  them 
to  climb  on,  but  I  prefer  to  use  the  chicken  wire  netting.  A 
5-foot  width  of  this  stretched  to  posts  with  the  lower  edge  a 
foot  from  the  ground  will  give  plenty  of  space  for  the  beans, 
which  are  planted  a  foot  apart. 


22  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Beets 

Early  Beets — Those  who  have  frames  and  sashes  can  have 
beets  very  early.  After  cutting  the  Christmas  and  New  Year's 
crop  of  lettuce  from  a  frame  about  January  10th,  I  add  more 
fertilizer  to  the  soil  and  sow  Egyptian  beets  and  scarlet  turnip 
radishes  in  rows  6  inches  apart.  Attention  must,  of  course,  be 
given  to  airing  in  sunny  weather,  and  if  the  single-glazed 
sashes  are  used  there  should  be  some  means  for  covering  the 
sashes  on  very  cold  nights.  Pinestraw  will  answer  very  well 
for  this  if  well  cleaned  off  after  the  cold  passes.  The  radishes 
grow  fast  and  soon  come  off  so  that  the  beets  have  the  foot 
rows.  Then  by  the  first  of  March  the  frame  can  be  removed 
to  another  place  to  be  used  for  hardening  off  the  early  tomato 
plants.  The  beets  will  then  stand  any  frost  we  are  apt  to  have, 
and  you  can  be  pulling  beets  about  the  time  other  people  are 
sowing. 

Then  for  planting  early  beets  in  the  open  ground,  use  a 
high-grade  fertilizer  in  the  furrows  and  bed  on  it.  Flatten  the 
beds  slightly  and  sow  the  seed  thinly.  Sow  in  February,  and  if 
not  caught  by  a  freeze  in  the  seed  leaf,  they  will  stand  the  frost 
after  they  get  the  rough  leaf.  For  this  sowing  I  prefer  to  use 
the  Eclipse  and  the  old  Bassano.  The  Bassano  is  a  light-col- 
ored beet  and  has  a  big  top,  and  hence  is  not  preferred  by  the 
market  growers.  But  it  is  the  sweetest  beet  grown.  The  Eclipse 
is  a  good  red.  The  Egyptian  is  the  earliest,  but  soon  gets  poor 
in  quality,  hence  I  use  it  only  for  sowing  in  the  frames. 

Late  Beets — For  winter  use  the  seed  should  be  sown  about 
the  middle  of  July.  At  this  time  I  use  the  blood  turnip  beet  of 
a  good  strain  or  the  Half -Long  Dark  Blood.  Use  commercial 
fertilizer  only,  and  use  it  liberally,  for  stable  manure  is  apt  to 
cause  beets  to  grow  forked.  The  late  beets  are  planted  in  rows 
20  inches  apart ;  and  in  the  late  fall  I  throw  a  furrow  to  each 
side  of  the  rows  and  let  them  remain  where  they  grew  all  win- 
ter, taking  them  up  as  needed. 

Brussels  Sprouts 

This  is  a  plant  of  the  cabbage  family  which  makes  an  open 
head  and  a  tall  stalk,  and  the  whole  stalk  is  lined  with  little 


CABBAGE  23 

heads  about  the  size  of  a  small  walnut.  They  are  very  nice 
after  frost  has  struck  them.  In  the  North  they  can  be  grown 
for  summer  use,  but  after  repeated  trials  I  have  found  that  it 
is  useless  fc)  try  to  head  them  in  summer  in  the  South.  Hence 
the  best  time  to  start  them  is  to  sow  the  seed  in  late  July,  and 
transplant  like  late  cabbages  or  collards.  Then  the  little  heads 
will  be  ready  in  November. 

Cabbage 

Early  Cabbage— While  there  have  been  many  varieties  of 
extra  early  cabbages  introduced  by  seedsmen  under  various 
names,  the  standard  early  cabbage  is  still  the  Early  Jersey 
Wakefield.  A  somewhat  later  and  larger  variety  has  been  se- 
lected from  this  and  called  Charleston  Wakefield.  Recently 
there  has  been  an  early  cabbage,  with  a  more  rounded  and 
dome-shaped  head,  introduced  from  Denmark  under  the  name 
of  Copenhagen  Market  Cabbage.  This  is  about  as  early  as 
the  Charleston  Wakefield  and  somewhat  larger  in  the  head. 
But  it  has  been  found  that  this  variety  is  not  suited  for  fall  sow- 
ing and  wintering  over  for  spring  heading,  for  it  will  invariably 
run  to  seed  in  spring  instead  of  heading.  Hence  the  best  way 
to  grow  this  variety  is  by  sowing  the  seed  in  a  cold  frame  un- 
der glass  in  February  and  using  it  as  a  succession  to  the  Early 
Jersey  Wakefield. 

The  so-called  "frost  proof,,  plants  advertised  so  extensively 
are  simply  fall-sown  plants  wintered  in  the  South  for  spring 
sales.  Formerly  it  was  a  common  practice  north  to  sow  the 
seed  of  the  early  Wakefield  the  middle  of  September,  and  trans- 
plant the  plants  thickly  into  cold  frames  to  winter  over  for 
spring  setting.  Now  that  they  can  be  wintered  more  cheaply  in 
the  South  this  practice  has  largely  been  abandoned. 

I  usually  make  two  sowings  in  the  fall,  one  about  the  mid- 
dle of  September  and  another  in  early  October.  In  a  long, 
late  growing  season,  the  first  sowing  may  get  too  large ;  for 
while  we  want  good  plants  we  do  not  want  overgrown  ones 
which  will  be  apt  to  run  to  seed  in  the  spring. 

_  For  growing  the  plants  we  need  light,  well-drained  and 
fertile  soil,  and  need  to  use  manure  or  fertilizer  liberally  in  the 


34  MASfiEY  S  GARDEN  BOOK 

furrows.  Make  the  furrows  3  feet  apart,  and  use  in  them  a 
fertilizer  high  in  nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid  and  very  little 
potash.  Use  this  at  rate  of  1,000  or  more  pounds  an  acre.  Then 
bed  on  this  and  run  the  furrows  and  the  beds  east  and  west. 
Run  a  furrow  through  the  bed  and  set  the  plants  15  inches 
apart  in  this  open  furrow,  being  sure  to  set  them  deep  enough 
to  cover  the  whole  stem,  for  if  the  stem  bursts  as  a  result  of 
frost  the  plant  will  be  worthless  even  if  it  lives. 

I  have  found  that  this  setting  in  open  furrows  in  No- 
vember is  better  than  setting  on  the  south  side  of  a  ridge,  as 
has  been  the  practice,  for  in  that  position  the  warm  spells  in 
winter  will  excite  the  plants  into  growth,  and  a  return  of  cold 
may  kill  them.  What  we  want  is  to  keep  them  dormant  till 
spring.  Then  the  plants  set  in  the  open  furrows  will  be  found 
fairly  on  the  surface  when  the  soil  is  worked  away  from  them 
and  cultivation  begun.  Then  in  spring,  after  the  soil  is  lev- 
eled, an  application  of  nitrate  of  soda  alongside  the  plants  when 
dry,  and  not  touching  the  leaves,  will  greatly  promote  a  rapid 
growth  and  early  heading. 

Summer  Cabbage — Sow  seed  of  the  Copenhagen  Market 
Cabbage  in  early  February  in  a  cold  frame  under  glass  or  cloth, 
and  set  the  plants  as  early  in  spring  as  the  soil  can  be  worked. 
Use  the  same  heavy  fertilization  in  the  furrows  and  bed  on  it. 
Then  flatten  the  beds  and  set  the  plants  about  18  to  20  inches 
apart  in  3-foot  rows,  as  they  need  a  little  more  room  than  the 
Early  Wakefield.  Then  for  still  later  use  sow  seed  in  the  open 
bed  early  in  spring  of  the  Fottler  Brunswick  Cabbage.  This  is 
a  very  short-stemmed  drumhead  which  will,  under  good  culti- 
vation, make  heavy  heads  in  September.  This  planting  will  need 
soil  naturally  moist  and  should  never  be  allowed  to  suffer  from 
lack  of  moisture  in  summer. 

Winter  Cabbage — Contrary  to  the  general  opinion  we  can 
grow  good,  large-headed  cabbages  in  the  South  when  properly 
attended  to.  Sow  seed  of  a  good  strain  of  the  Late  Flat  Dutch 
cabbage  the  middle  of  July.  Then  see  that  the  seed  bed  never 
lacks  for  water,  but  keep  the  plants  growing  well  and  get  good 
strong  plants.  Set  these  in  late  August  in  rows  3  feet  apart  and 
2  feet  apart  in  the  rows.  Moist  bottom  land  will  be  a  favorable 
location  for  them  or  land  that  can  be  artificially  irrigated,  for 


CANTALOUPES  26 

plenty  of  moisture  is  essential  to  success.  In  fact,  collards 
grown  in  the  same  way  will  be  of  a  far  superior  character  to 
those  planted  earlier  and  allowed  to  take  chances  and  run  up 
great  stalks  and  poor  heads.  Rapid  cultivation  is  essential,  and 
helping  with  nitrate  of  soda  is  also  needed.  These,  in  order  to 
keep  well,  should  head  not  earlier  than  late  November  or  early 
December. 

There  is  never  sufficient  cold  to  damage  cabbages  before 
some  time  in  December.  When  real  cold  threatens,  turn  the 
heads  of  the  cabbages  over  towards  the  north,  and  then  pile  the 
earth  over  the  stem  and  the  lower  part  of  the  head,  leaving  the 
top  exposed  and  sheltered  from  the  winter  sunshine  by  being 
towards  the  north.  They  will  keep  very  well  in  this  condition, 
as  the  stem  and  the  lower  part  of  the  head  are  the  tender  parts. 
The  heads  can  be  cut  during  the  winter,  and  the  stalks  left,  as 
these  will  sprout  in  the  spring  and  make  early  greens  for  boiling. 

Cantaloupes 

These  are  now  very  largely  grown  for  shipment  north, 
especially  by  truck  growers  on  the  Peninsula  of  Maryland,  Del- 
aware and  Virginia,  where  thousands  of  acres  are  annually 
planted.  The  practice  in  this  region  is  to  plow  and  prepare  the 
land  early  in  January,  and  run  out  rows  5  feet  apart.  These 
furrows  are  then  half  filled  with  stable  manure  brought  on  cars 
from  New  York  City.  This  manure  is  then  allowea  to  lie  and 
rot  till  planting  time  in  April.  Then  about  500  pounds  of  high- 
grade  fertilizer  per  acre  is  added  and  bedded  on,  the  ridges 
slightly  flattened  and  the  seed  drilled  in  on  them  with  a  garden 
seed  drill. 

When  a  good  stand  is  secure  the  plants  are  thinned  to 
about  20  inches  apart.  For  additional  fertilizer  about  a  table- 
spoonful  of  nitrate  of  soda  is  scattered  around  each  hill.  To 
avoid  danger  of  injuring  the  plants  this  should  be  done  when 
the  leaves  are  dry.  The  crop  is  then  cleanly  cultivated  till  the 
vines  are  in  the  way.  As  the  melons  form,  the  whole  field  is 
sown  to  crimson  clover  to  make  a  winter  cover  after  the  crop 
is  off. 

In  garden  culture  I  fcave  found  it  best  to  give  trie  whole 


3«  MASSEY  S  GARDEN  BOOK 

area  a  heavy  covering  of  manure  in  the  late  fall.  Then  in  spring 
in  planting  melons  or  cucumbers,  I  run  out  furrows  and  use 
raw  bone  meal  in  them  at  the  rate  of  about  1,000  pounds  an 
acre.  I  then  bed  on  this  with  my  garden  hand-plow,  and  sow 
the  seed  in  a  row,  thinning  out  to  20  inches  in  the  rows.  I 
find  that  they  do  a  great  deal  better  with  the  broadcast  manur- 
ing than  by  having  a  body  of  manure  immediately  under  the 
plants,  which  often  interferes  with  them  in  dry  weather.  But 
since  putting  sprinkling  pipes  over  my  garden  I  am  independent 
of  the  rains.  The  cantaloupes  grown  by  the  marketmen  are 
universally  of  the  Rocky  Ford  type.  The  strain  known  as  Bur- 
rell's  Eden  Gem  is  most  commonly  used.  The  cantaloupes  are 
shipped  in  crates  known  as  45's — that  is,  they  hold  just  45  can- 
taloupes of  the  average  size.  The  larger  ones  called  Jumbos 
are  snipped  in  the  same  crates  but  in  smaller  number,  of  course. 
This  variety  is  also  good  for  family  use,  but  there  are  also  other 
desirable  varieties  for  the  home  garden.  Personally,  I  have  a 
liking  for  the  salmon-fleshed  varieties  like  Paul  Rose,  Osage, 
Emerald  Gem  and  Tait's  Ideal.  The  Emerald  Gem  has  dark 
green  skin  and  very  thick  orange-salmon  flesh,  and  is  one  of  the 
best  varieties. 

The  earliest  cantaloupe  is  the  Jenny  Lind.  It  is  a  small 
melon  ribbed  and  flattened  at  the  ends  and  often  with  a  sort  of 
button  on  the  end.  It  is  largely  grown  by  the  New  Jersey  grow- 
ers. It  is  of  fine  eating  quality.  The  Montreal  Market  is  the 
largest  of  cantaloupes,  often  weighing  18  to  20  pounds.  It  is 
largely  grown  in  hotbeds  in  Canada  and  imported  to  this  coun- 
try at  a  high  price  in  late  summer.  I  have  grown  it  here,  but 
have  never  found  it  of  good  quality. 

Never  let  a  cantaloupe  stay  on  the  vine  to  turn  yellow,  but 
pull  it  as  soon  as  the  stem  starts  easily  from  the  vine.  Pulled 
before  this,  they  will  not  sweeten  well,  while  if  allowed  to  get 
yellow  they  lose  flavor. 

Carrots 

Carrots  are  not  so  much  grown  in  the  South  as  they  should 
be.  The  large  varieties,  grown  for  stock  feeding,  are  very  use- 
ful in  winter  where  the  farmer  has  no  silo,  helping  greatly  in 
keeping  up  the  winter  milk  supply  and  adding  color  to  butter 


CAULIFLOWER  IT 

in  winter.  The  shorter  and  earlier  varieties  vary  from  the  little 
forcing  sorts  (which  can  be  grown  in  cold  frames  in  spring 
like  radishes),  on  to  the  half-long,  stump-rooted  varieties  for 
winter  use. 

These  last,  of  which  the  best  is  the  Danvers  Half -Long, 
are  sown  in  rows  16  inches  apart  in  the  garden  in  late  June  or 
early  July.  Thin  to  3  inches  apart  in  the  rows  and  in  the  fall 
let  them  remain  where  they  grew  and  they  can  be  dug  for  use 
all  winter,  though  the  frost  may  destroy  most  of  the  tops.  They 
are  nice  in  soups  and  boiled  as  a  table  vegetable.  These,  like 
other  root  crops,  make  smoother  and  better  roots  when  well 
supplied  with  commercial  fertilizer  rather  than  stable  manure, 
which  is  apt  to  cause  them  to  grow  forked,  unless  the  manure 
is  very  old  and  fine.  For  stock  feeding  grow  the  Long  Orange 
variety  in  the  open  truck  patch  and  plant  wide  enough  apart  for 
horse  cultivation. 

Cauliflower 

To  grow  cauliflower  successfully  it  must  mature  very  early 
in  spring  or  very  late  in  the  fall.  If  the  spring  plants  do  not 
head  before  the  weather  gets  hot  they  will  seldom  head  at  all. 
In  the  lower  South,  the  seed  can  be  sown  in  the  fall,  just  as  we 
sow  early  cabbage  seed,  and  set  out  to  head  in  the  spring.  But 
in  the  upper  South,  the  plants  do  not  stand  the  winter  as  well 
as  cabbages,  and  for  this  reason  need  to  be  grown  in  frames. 
I  believe  that  our  market  growers  who  use  frames  for  lettuce 
growing  could  make  the  cauliflower  more  profitable  than  lettuce 
by  setting  the  plants  in  the  frames  in  the  fall  and  protecting 
them  either  by  glass  or  cloth. 

I  have  grown  cauliflower  with  perfect  success  under  glass 
sashes.  My  frames  were  the  usual  6  feet  wide  frames  with 
sashes  3x6  feet.  I  planted  six  cauliflower  plants  to  each  sash 
and  filled  in  between  them  with  lettuce  for  heading  at  Christ- 
mas. After  the  lettuce  was  cut  out,  the  cauliflower  plants  were 
given  clean  cultivation  and  some  nitrate  of  soda  sprinkled  be- 
tween them.  By  the  first  of  March  they  were  getting  up  to  the 
glass  and  were  gradually  inured  to  the  air,  the  sashes  being  re- 
moved entirely  by  the  middle  of  March  and  transferred  to  other 
frames  for  hardening  off  the  early  tomato  plants.  By  this 
method  the  cauliflower  headed  well  in  April  and  early  May. 


M  massiy's  garden  book 

This  gives  a  treble  use  for  the  glass  and  a  profitable  crop 
of  both  lettuce  and  cauliflowers.  The  difficulty  in  getting  & 
late  fall  crop  in  the  open  ground  is  the  carrying  of  the  plants 
through  the  hot  weather.  The  best  plan  will  be  to  have  the 
plants  grown  in  the  North  and  set  them  in  September  in  soil 
made  very  rich  and  naturally  retentive  of  moisture.  When 
well  grown  they  can  be  headed  in  November  and  make  fine 
heads. 

Cauliflower  seed  is  mainly  grown  in  Denmark,  and  the 
variety  known  as  Snowball  is  the  best  and  earliest. 

Broccoli — For  the  fall  crop  the  plant  similar  to  cauliflower 
called  "Broccoli"  is  often  used  for  home  consumption.  But  it 
is  not  adapted  to  shipping,  because  the  heads  do  not  keep  like 
those  of  the  cauliflower,  but  wilt  and  get  bitter  after  cutting. 

Celery 

The  cultivation  of  celery  varies  with  the  climate.  In  the 
North,  as  at  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  truckers  can  grow  celery, 
by  starting  the  plants  early  in  hotbeds  under  glass,  and  mature 
it  in  summer  and  early  fall.  This  cannot  be  done  in  the  South. 
Then  in  the  far  South,  as  in  Florida,  the  crop  is  grown  entirely 
as  a  winter  crop  from  fall-sown  seed.  In  the  middle  and  upper 
South  about  the  only  celery  crop  available  is  that  which  comes 
into  use  about  Christmas  and  New  Year's. 

To  grow  this  crop,  sow  seed  on  a  well-prepared  bed  on 
lines  marked  out  on  the  surface  about  6  inches  apart.  Sow  in 
early  May.  Merely  pat  the  seed  in  with  the  back  of  a  spade, 
but  do  not  cover.  Then  cover  the  bed  with  fertilizer  sacks 
and  water  well  on  these.  This  will  retain  the  moisture  at  the 
surface  and  prevent  crusting.  Then,  as  the  seed  germinate,  the 
sacks  must  be  lifted  up  gradually  and  finally  removed,  after 
which  the  plants  must  be  kept  clean  of  weeds.  As  soon  as  the 
plants  are  large  enough  to  handle  they  should  be  transplanted  to 
another  bed  in  similar  rows,  but  set  2  inches  apart,  to  get 
strongly  re-rooted.  If  the  tops  grow  too  strongly  they  can  be 
sheared  somewhat.  This  will  give  strong  plants  for  setting  in 
late  August. 


CELERY  It 

In  most  places  celery  is  planted  in  single  rows  4  feet  apart 
and  each  row  earthed  to  itself.  But  in  the  South  the  best  method 
is  to  use  what  is  known  as  the  "Baltimore  bed  method";  for 
when  grown  in  single  rows  it  is  necessary  to  take  up  the  plants 
and  finish  the  blanching  in  trenches,  while  the  bed  method  in- 
volves no  lifting  till  the  celery  is  taken  up  for  use. 

I  always  plant  celery  as  a  succession  crop  after  some  early 
crop  like  cabbage,  beans,  etc.  If  the  soil  has  been  heavily  ma- 
nured for  the  early  crop  I  would  use  only  acid  phosphate  and 
cotton  seed  meal  mixed  equally  for  the  celery  crop.  For  set- 
ting the  plants,  first  prepare  a  board  a  foot  wide  and  6  feet 
long  with  the  ends  accurately  squared.  Cut  notches  on  both 
edges  of  this  board  6  inches  apart.  This  will  make  eleven 
notches.  Then  stretch  a  line  taut  alongside  the  bed  to  be 
planted.  Set  the  planting  board  square  with  this  line  at  one 
end,  and  set  a  plant  at  each  notch.  Then  move  the  board  to 
match  with  the  last  set  plants  and  set  another  row,  and  so  on 
till  the  whole  bed  is  set.  Where  more  than  one  bed  is  to  be 
planted,  leave  a  space  of  8  feet  between  the  beds  for  earthing. 
You  will  now  have  a  bed  with  plants  set  in  rows  across  the  bed 
a  foot  apart  and  6  inches  in  the  rows.  All  to  be  done  now  is  to 
keep  the  bed  well  cultivated  and  clean  of  weeds  and  grass  till 
the  time  comes  for  setting  up  or  handling  the  crop.  This  is 
done  when  the  outer  leaves  grow  heavy  and  are  inclined  to  fall 
over. 

Then  we  prepare  two  cords  about  ten  feet  long  with  a  peg 
attached  to  each  end.  Set  a  peg  at  the  end  of  the  first  row  and 
take  a  turn  of  the  string  around  each  plant  in  the  row  to  hold 
the  leaves  up,  and  stick  the  other  peg  at  the  far  end.  Treat 
the  second  row  in  the  same  way.  Then  shovel  in  soil  between 
these  two  rows  and  pack  it  close  to  the  plants  to  keep  the  stems 
erect.    Go  over  the  whole  bed  in  this  way. 

Then  as  the  nights  get  cool  you  can  commence  the  earth- 
ing. Put  soil  between  the  rows  just  so  as  to  keep  the  growing 
centre  of  the  plants  above  the  soil,  but  take  care  to  get  no  soil 
into  the  head.  Carry  up  the  earth  on  the  sides  of  the  bed  6 
inches  beyond  the  ends  of  the  rows,  making  the  bed  full  6  feet 
wide.  Continue  the  earthing  as  the  plants  grow,  taking  care 
never  to  work  in  the  celery  when  the  leaves  are  wet.    Finally, 


30  massey's  garden  book 

by  the  last  of  November  or  early  December,  when  the  weather 
promises  to  get  really  cold,  cover  the  entire  bed  with  earth  6 
inches  deep,  and  then  cover  it  thickly  all  over  with  pine  straw, 
and  you  can  take  out  the  celery  as  wanted  in  winter. 

Chard 

This  is  a  variety  of  beet  which  makes  an  immense  growth 
of  tops,  but  no  edible  roots.  They  are  planted  early  in  spring 
and  are  in  use  all  through  the  summer.  I  sow  them  in  rows 
rather  thickly  and  as  soon  as  the  leaves  are  large  enough  I  thin 
them  out  and  use  the  thinnings  for  greens  and  no  one  could  dis- 
tinguish these  young  leaves  from  spinach.  Thin  them  to  6 
inches  apart  and  then  all  through  the  summer  the  outer  leaves 
may  be  pulled  and  the  blades  of  the  leaves  boiled  for  greens. 
The  leaf  stalks,  which  are  nearly  as  large  as  rhubarb,  can  be 
cooked  and  served  like  asparagus,  thus  getting  two  nice  dishes 
all  summer  from  the  same  plant.  There  are  a  number  of  varie- 
ties, but  I  have  found  that  the  Lucullus  is  the  best. 

Collards 

While  I  have  no  sort  of  objection  to  eating  well-grown 
collards,  I  prefer  to  grow  good  hard-headed  cabbages,  and  these 
can  be  grown  in  the  South,  as  I  have  shown,  by  sowing  the  seed 
at  the  proper  time  and  giving  the  crops  the  richest  of  soil  and 
abundance  of  water  during  growth.  Collards  will  stand  more 
abuse,  however,  than  cabbage,  but  they  thrive  better  if  given  as 
good  cultivation  and  attention  as  cabbages. 

Started  in  July  you  can  make  short-stemmed  and  thrifty 
plants  by  late  November,  which  will  keep  better  in  winter  than 
the  earlier  planted  collards.  Treat  them  in  the  fall  just  as  I 
have  advised  for  late  cabbage.  That  is,  turn  them  over  with 
head  to  the  north  and  bank  the  soil  over  the  stems  and  base  of 
the  head,  and  they  will  blanch  nicely  for  winter  use. 

Like  all  the  cabbage  tribe,  collards  are  best  when  well  fed. 
Manure  heavily  and  give  some  nitrate  of  soda  to  urge  a  rapid 
growth,  and  they  will  be  far  superior  to  half-starved,  poorly 
cultivated  plants.  But  if  you  will  grow  some  Drumhead  Savoy 
cabbage  I  do  not  think  that  you  will  want  any  collards. 


CORN CUCUMBER  $1 

Corn 

The  early  varieties  of  sugar  corn  seldom  amount  to  much 
in  the  South.  In  fact,  sugar  corn  in  general  does  poorly  in  the 
South  because  people  fail  to  grow  their  own  seed.  The  corn 
sold  by  the  seedsmen  is  largely  grown  in  Nebraska  and  other 
northern  localities,  and  corn  of  any  sort  seldom  does  well  at 
first  when  removed  far  south  of  the  locality  where  produced. 
There  is  no  difficulty  in  growing  the  later  sorts  of  sugar  corn 
in  the  South  when  acclimated,  hence  it  is  always  best  to  mature 
seed  at  home  and  get  it  acclimated.  This  can  seldom  be  well 
done  with  the  early  crop  because  it  is  usually  so  badly  infested 
with  boll  worms,  making  it  hard  to  get  good  ears  for  seed.  But 
a  crop  planted  the  middle  of  June  or  even  in  early  July  can  be 
matured  clear  of  worms  and  will  make  the  best  seed  for  home 
use  in  the  South.  The  plants  gradually  attain  a  greater  size 
and  vigor,  yet  do  not  mature  so  early  as  seed  from  the  North. 

For  early  use  I  do  not  plant  sugar  corn,  but  use  seed  of  the 
Norfolk  Market  corn.  This  is  an  improvement  on  the  old 
Early  Adams  corn,  making  longer  ears  and  just  as  early.  It  is 
a  very  early  dent  corn,  in  fact,  and  can  be  profitably  used  in 
field  planting,  when  it  is  necessary  to  plant  very  late. 

Every  spring  I  plant  a  littla  of  the  early  sugar  corn  like 
the  Golden  Bantam,  because  of  its  very  fine  quality,  though  we 
get  very  little  of  it  and  very  small  ears.  The  Black  Mexican 
sugar  corn  generally  does  fairly  well  and  is  early.  This  corn  is 
a  dark  purple  color  when  ripe,  but  pale  pink  when  ready  for  the 
table.  Plant  the  Norfolk  Market  corn,  follow  with  a  little  of 
the  Golden  Bantam  and  then  plant  successive  crops  of  the 
Country  Gentleman,  Stowell's  Evergreen  and  Randall's  Giant. 
The  latest  and  largest  sugar  corn  is  the  Egyptian. 

In  my  garden,  as  fast  as  the  ears  are  used,  I  pull  out  the 
stalks  and  set  them  aside  to  cure,  thus  have  the  ground  cleared 
of  stumps  and  ready  for  some  later  crop. 

Cucumber 

The  practice  of  the  large  truck  growers,  in  growing  cu- 
cumbers, is  to  prepare  the  soil  in  early  winter,  run  out  furrows 
5  feet  apart,  fill  them  half  full  of  stable  manure,  and  let  it  lie 


**  massey's  garden  book 

and  rot  till  spring.  Then  they  add  500  pounds  of  high-grade 
fertilizer  per  acre  and  bed  on  it.  The  beds  are  slightly  flat- 
tened and  the  seed  put  in  with  a  garden  drill.  When  a  stand 
is  secured  they  thin  them  to  two  plants  in  a  hill  20  inches  apart, 
and  scatter  about  a  tablespoonful  of  nitrate  of  soda  around  each' 
hill,  cultivating  clean  till  the  vines  are  in  the  way.  As  cucum- 
bers form,  they  sow  crimson  clover  all  over  the  field  for  a 
winter  cover. 

In  my  garden  I  adopt  a  somewhat  different  method.  The 
whole  area  is  well  covered  with  stable  manure  in  the  late  fall 
and  let  lie  till  spring,  when  it  is  turned  under.  Then,  in  plant- 
ing my  cucumbers  and  cantaloupes,  I  make  hills  3x4  feet 
apart,  work  into  the  soil  a  big  handful  of  fine  bone  meal,  make 
up  the  hill,  plant  plenty  of  seed,  and  thin  out  when  safe  from 
bugs. 

The  striped  and  spotted  beetles  are  usually  on  the  watch  to 
attack  the  plants  as  soon  as  they  get  above  ground.  To  disarm 
them,  I  keep  fine  bone  meal  dusted  over  the  plants.  Any  fine 
dust  will  check  them.  They  can  also  be  killed  by  spraying  with 
lead  arsenate  mixed  at  rate  of  1  pound  of  lead  to  30  gallons  of 
water.  Then^  the  plants  are  cultivated  clean;  and  where  the 
borers  are  apt  to  attack  them,  spray  with  the  lead  arsenate  till 
the  cucumbers  set  and  are  partly  grown. 

For  the  family  garden  the  Davis  Perfect  is  best.  Market 
growers  mainly  use  varieties  of  the  White  Spine  like  the  Klon- 
dyke.  The  Davis  Perfect  is  slightly  longer  and  not  so  thick, 
but  of  a  very  bright  dark  green  color.  For  a  pickling  crop  I 
plant  in  late  June  and  gather  the  cucumbers  when  half  grown. 
In  gathering  cucumbers  always  cut  them  from  the  vines,  leaving 
a  small  piece  of  stem.    Never  pull  them  from  the  vines. 

Egg  Plant 

Though  the  egg  plant  is  especially  adapted  to  Southern 
cultivation,  it  is  rarely  seen  in  home  gardens  in  the  upper  South, 
though  an  important  market  crop  in  the  lower  South,  as  in 
Florida  and  Louisiana.  It  is  a  very  tender  plant  and  should 
never  be  started  as  early  as  we  start  the  early  tomato  plants, 
for  it  is  seldom  safe  to  put  them  in  the  open  ground  till  after 


ENDIVE  AND  CHICORY  3S 

the  middle  of  May.  Early  March  is  time  enough  to  sow  the 
seed  in  a  hotbed  under  glass  sashes  or  in  shallow  boxes  in  the 
greenhouse  or  window.  Large  market  growers  use  a  hotbed 
and  transplant  the  plants,  as  soon  as  large  enough,  to  a  fresh 
hotbed  to  grow  strong  for  later  transplanting. 

My  own  practice  in  growing  a  supply  for  the  home  gar- 
den is  to  sow  the  seed  in  March  in  shallow  box  of  rich  compost 
in  my  greenhouse.  Then,  as  soon  as  they  have  made  a  pair  of 
rough  leaves,  I  set  them  in  pots  of  the  2j4-inch  size.  When 
these  are  fairly  filled  with  roots,  I  transfer  them  to  4-inch  pots 
and  grow  them  on  strongly  so  that  by  planting  time  I  have  stout 
plants  with  leaves  as  large  as  my  hand.  I  never  try  to  harden 
them  by  setting  in  a  cold  frame,  as  I  do  tomato  plants,  for  they 
get  stunted  in  this  way.  Keep  them  growing  fast  till  the  soil  is 
finally  warm  and  then  turn  them  from  the  pots  with  the  ball  of 
earth  entire,  and  they  grow  off  without  check. 

The  earliest  and  most  prolific  variety  is  the  Black  Beauty, 
but  in  my  experience  it  is  the  hardest  to  get  started  and  to  get 
to  grow  off  rapidly.  Maule's  Excelsior  is  a  stronger  growing 
plant  and  the  New  York  Improved  Spineless  is  also  a  strong 
grower.  I  usually  sow  seed  of  one  of  these  at  the  same  time 
with  the  seed  of  the  Black  Beauty,  as  they  make  larger  fruits 
than  the  Black  Beauty,  though  rather  later. 

It  is  always  best  to  let  a  fine  specimen  of  each  ripen  and 
save  the  seed,  for  I  have  always  had  better  success  with  home- 
grown seed  than  those  from  the  seedsmen. 

Endive  and  Chicory 

Endive  belongs  to  the  chicory  family.  It  is  generally  used 
as  a  hot  weather  substitute  for  lettuce.  There  are  two  varie- 
ties, the  green  curled  and  the  white  curled,  or  self -blanching. 
The  seed  is  sown  in  the  open  ground  in  early  spring  and  the 
plants  transplanted  into  beds  8  x  10  inches  apart.  When  the 
heads  are  well  grown,  they  are  blanched  by  tying  the  leaves  up 
loosely  when  dry.  Or,  they  can  be  covered  in  some  way  to 
make  them  blanch.  Some  merely  lay  a  shingle  on  the  head  for 
a  few  days.  I  employ  conical  paper  caps,  which  are  also  used 
as  plant-protectors  in  the  spring.  Setting  these  pver  the  heads 
soon  causes  them  to  blanch,  making  them  less  bitter. 


34  massey's  garden  book 

The  true  chicory,  called  witloof  or  French  endive,  is  grown 
from  seed  sown  in  early  spring  and  allowed  to  grow  till  No- 
vember, keeping  it  cleanly  cultivated.  It  is  then  taken  up  and 
set  in  trenches  16  inches  deep  and  the  soil  packed  to  them  and 
covered  with  a  thick  layer  of  manure.  In  about  four  weeks 
the  crop  will  be  ready  to  lift  and  will  be  well  blanched.  Endive 
and  chicory  are  eaten  raw  like  lettuce  or  boiled  as  greens. 

Herbs 

Sage — The  most  commonly  used  seasoning  herb  is  sage. 
It  is  far  better  to  grow  sage  from  seed  every  year  than  to  keep 
old  bushes  in  the  garden.  In  March  sow  the  seed  in  a  well- 
prepared  seedbed,  and  when  the  plants  are  of  good  size,  trans- 
plant them,  after  some  early  crop  is  off,  in  rows  2  feet  apart 
and  1  foot  in  the  rows.  Then,  in  late  summer  and  fall,  the 
entire  tops  can  be  cut,  for  they  will  all  be  tender  and  can  be 
dried  in  the  shade  for  winter  use.  If  the  plants  are  kept  over 
they  will  run  to  bloom  the  next  spring  and  the  crop  will  be 
smaller.  It  is  better  to  throw  the  old  plants  away  and  grow 
again  from  seed.  What  I  have  said  here  applies  to  the  old- 
fashioned  sage.  But  we  now  have  a  variety  known  as  Holt's 
Broad  Leaf,  which  never  blooms  or  seeds.  This  is  grown  only 
from  cuttings  or  division  of  the  old  plants.  The  leaves  are 
much  larger  than  the  old  variety,  and  the  plants  can  be  given  a 
permanent  place  in  the  garden,  cutting  them  down  to  the  ground 
in  early  spring  so  that  the  young  growth  will  all  be  tender  and 
clear  of  hard  stems.  Cuttings  of  the  young  growth,  set  in  a 
pan  of  wet  sand  in  a  window  in  early  spring,  will  root  easily 
and  the  plants  can  be  potted  to  grow  strong  for  setting  in  the 
garden.    Or  the  old  plants  can  be  taken  up,  divided  and  reset. 

Thyme,  sweet  marjoram  and  other  herbs  will  live  for  years 
in  the  same  place,  but  are  really  better  grown  annually  from 
seed. 

Dill,  the  leaves  of  which  are  used  in  pickles,  is  a  hardy 
biennial  plant.  It  grows  from  seed  one  season,  blooms,  seeds 
the  second  season  and  dies.  Hence  the  seed  should  be  sown  in 
alternate  years,  or  annually. 

Fennel  is  similar  to  dill  and  of  the  same  duration. 


HORSE-RADISH KALE 


35 


Horehound  is  a  hardy  perennial  and  a  bed  of  it  can  remain 
in  the  same  place  for  a  number  of  years.  The  same  is  true  of 
lavender,  which  housekeepers  value  for  placing  in  the  bureau 
drawers  because  of  its  fragrance. 

Horse-Radish 

While  horse-radish  is  a  perfectly  hardy  plant  and  will  live 
in  the  same  spot  from  year  to  year,  it  is  only  well-grown  by 
treating  it  as  an  annual.  The  roots  are  at  their  best  when  of 
one  season's  growth.  The  crop  is  grown  from  cuttings  of  the 
side  roots  about  4  inches  long.  These  are  cut  square  across  at 
the  top  and  sloping  at  the  base,  to  prevent  setting  them  upside 
down.  These  cuttings  are  planted  by  punching  holes  and  set- 
ting them  straight  in  the  soil.  A  good  place  to  plant  these  cut- 
tings is  between  rows  of  early  cabbage.  Then,  when  the  cab- 
bage are  cut,  the  horse-radish  can  be  cultivated  the  rest  of  the 
season,  and  dug  in  the  fall.  At  this  time  the  side  roots  are 
trimmed  off,  tied  in  bundles  and  buried  for  planting  in  the 
spring.  The  crop  needs  heavy  fertilization  to  make  good 
straight  roots. 

There  is  a  new  variety  from  Bohemia  called  Maliner  Kren, 
which  is  the  best  variety  grown.  Any  of  the  leading  seed- 
houses  will  supply  the  cuttings  in  spring,  and  the  earlier  they 
are  set  the  better. 

Kale 

Kale  is  very  extensively  grown  in  the  Norfolk  section  for 
shipping  north  in  winter.  The  Dwarf  Curled  Scotch  kale  is 
sometimes  grown  like  late  cabbage  and  collards.  The  plants 
are  set  in  August  and  make  very  large  spreading  heads  of  pret- 
tily crimped  leaves.  These  are  good  for  boiling  after  touched 
by  frost,  the  plants  being  quite  hardy.  Then,  the  still  more 
hardy  Norfolk  curled  kale  is  also  grown  and  is  of  better  quality 
than  the  Scotch.  Some  seedsmen  catalogue  the  Green  Curled 
German  kale  as  very  hardy,  but  I  have  found  that  sown  in  rows 
along  side  the  Norfolk  kale  it  was  killed  in  winter,  while  the 
Norfolk  kale  survived.  Dreer's  Imperial  Long  Standing  kale 
is  of  the  Scotch  type,  beautifully  curled  and  very  hardy.  Sown 
early  in  summer  and  transplanted  and  grown  like  cabbages^  it 
will  furnish  greens  all  winter. 


86  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Kohl-Rabi 

This  is  a  plant  belonging  to  the  cabbage  family  which 
makes  a  large  bulb-like  swollen  stem  above  ground  and  a  tuft 
of  leaves  above.  The  swollen  stem  is  the  part  used  and  is 
boiled  after  peeling  like  turnips.  The  seed  are  sown  in  early 
spring  for  an  early  crop,  and  late  summer  for  a  fall  crop.  Sow 
in  rows  16  inches  apart  and  thin  the  plants  to  4  inches.  Like 
all  this  class  of  plants,  it  needs  a  rich  and  heavily  manured 
soil  to  make  large  bulbs. 

Leek 

Leeks  make  the  best  winter  substitute  for  green  onions, 
and  are  milder  than  onions.  Sow  the  seed  very  early  in  spring, 
preferably  in  February,  in  a  well-enriched  seed  bed.  Grow 
them  on  strongly  till  July.  Then,  after  some  heavily  manured 
early  crop,  transplant  them  into  open  furrows  in  rows  16  inches 
apart  and  3  inches  in  the  rows.  Work  the  soil  to  them  grad- 
ually and  finally  earth  up  slightly.  The  idea  is  to  get  long  white 
shanks  for  cooking. 

They  are  perfectly  hardy  and  can  be  left  all  winter  in  the 
rows  where  they  grew,  and  taken  up  as  wanted  for  use.  We 
use  them  all  winter  through  till  the  young  onions  are  ready  in 
early  spring. 

Lettuce 

Lettuce  is  one  of  the  chief  market  crops  of  the  South  and 
is  largely  grown  in  beds  under  cloth,  although  far  better  crops 
can  be  grown  under  glass  sashes. 

For  the  first  fall  crop  of  lettuce  to  be  grown  in  the  open 
ground,  I  sow  seed  of  the  Big  Boston  variety  early  in  August 
and  transplant  the  plants,  as  soon  as  of  good  size,  into  rows  16 
inches  apart  and  8  inches  in  the  rows.  Then,  they  are  not  al- 
lowed to  suffer  from  lack  of  water,  while  nitrate  of  soda  is 
scattered  between  the  rows  to  hasten  growth.  This  crop  will 
head  in  October  or  early  November. 

Early  in  September  sow  more  seed  of  the  Big  Boston, 
and  as  soon  as  the  plants  are  large  enough,  transplant  them  into 
frames,  spacing  8  x  10  inches.  As  they  start  to  grow,  give 
these,  too,  some  nitrate  of  soda,  being  sure  none  of  it  touches 


MUSTARD OKRA  37 

the  leaves.  Put  the  glass  or  cloth  over  the  frames  when  the 
nights  get  frosty,  and  this  crop  will  head  for  Christmas  and 
New  Year's.  In  the  meantime,  sow  seed  in  a  frame  in  Octo- 
ber, and  when  the  first  frame  is  cut  out,  move  it  to  a  freshly 
manured  place  and  plant  with  these  plants  for  the  late  winter 
and  early  spring  crop. 

In  late  January  sow  seed  of  the  Wonderful  or  New  York 
lettuce  in  a  frame  and  harden  these  off  so  that  they  can  be  set 
in  the  open  ground  in  late  February.  This  is  the  largest-head- 
ing lettuce  grown,  and  will  stand  longer  in  the  spring  without 
running  to  seed  than  any  other  sort.  In  rich  and  moist  soil  it 
will  often  make  heads  weighing  three  to  four  pounds  each.  This 
crop  needs  heavy  manuring  and  applications  of  nitrate  of  soda 
during  its  growth,  for  lettuce  must  be  grown  fast  to  be  good. 
In  the  frames  in  fall  and  winter  the  soil  must  be  stuffed  with 
rotten  manure  and  high-grade  fertilizers  and  nitrate  of  soda 
used. 

Seed  of  the  last  spring  crop  can  be  sown  outside  in  Feb- 
ruary and  transplanted  to  follow  those  from  the  frame,  but  it 
is  rarely  of  use  to  try  to  head  lettuce  later  than  the  first  of  June 
or  in  some  seasons  even  earlier. 

Cos  lettuce  is  of  upright  growth  and  can  be  planted  closer 
than  the  wide  spreading  sorts.  It  should  be  grown  early  in 
spring,  and  the  heads  will  usually  need  tying  in  to  blanch  them. 
When  well-grown  this  is  a  very  fine  variety. 

Mustard 

Mustard  makes  about  the  earliest  of  spring-sown  greens, 
and  comes  in  very  nicely  after  the  turnip  tops.  It  is  sown  in 
rows  in  early  spring  and  grows  quickly  and  is  soon  out  of  the 
way  of  later  crops.  The  White  London  mustard  is  about  the 
best  variety. 

Okra 

Okra  is  good  either  as  a  boiled  vegetable  or  as  the  chief 
ingredient  in  gumbo  soup.  The  pods  are  cut  for  use  while  still 
tender  and  before  they  get  stringy.  Cut  at  the  proper  stage 
they  can  be  sliced  and  dried  and  kept  for  making  soup  in 
winter. 


38  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Plant  the  seed  in  rows  about  3  feet  apart  in  rich  soil  and 
when  a  stand  is  secured,  thin  the  plants  to  a  foot  apart.  Do 
not  plant  the  seed  till  the  soil  is  warm,  as  the  plants  are  quite 
tender. 

One  of  the  best  tall-growing  varieties  is  Perkins'  Long 
Pod.  The  pods  are  long  and  green.  Then,  there  is  a  dwarf 
sort,  the  Little  Gem,  which  also  makes  long  green  pods  and 
does  not  grow  so  tall.  The  White  Velvet  or  Creole  has  smooth 
pods  of  a  creamy  white  color  and  is  very  productive,  but  it  gets 
tough  more  quickly  than  the  Perkins. 

Okra  pods  should  be  kept  cut  even  if  not  all  used  at  once, 
as  the  surplus  can  be  dried.  One  good  plant  left  to  mature 
will  furnish  all  the  seed  needed  in  a  large  garden,  and  for  seed 
saving  it  is  always  best  to  allow  the  first  pods  to  mature  for 
seed,  and  thus  prevent  the  tendency  of  the  plants  to  grow  con- 
stantly taller  in  case  only  the  refuse  late  pods  are  saved  for 
seed. 

Onions 

Early  Onions — Onions  are  best  grown  in  a  well-drained 
soil  tending  more  to  sand  than  clay.  Heavy  manuring  and  fer- 
tilizing are  needed,  for  the  onion  demands  a  fat  soil ;  and  as  the 
crop  demands  the  cleanest  of  cultivation  it  is  best  to  depend  on 
high-grade  commercial  fertilizer,  not  less  than  1,000  pounds  per 
acre,  and  keep  the  same  land  in  onions  every  year  for  five  or 
six  years.  When  grown  on  a  large  scale  for  market,  the  land 
should  be  sown  in  peas  as  soon  as  the  crop  is  off  and  the  peas 
disked  down  and  turned  under  in  September  before  replanting 
in  onions. 

Onions  when  one-third  to  half  grown  are  bunched  for 
market  in  the  spring,  and  this  use  of  the  crop  by  the  market 
gardener  often  pays  better  than  to  let  them  ripen.  For  the  ear- 
liest green  onions,  I  have  generally  used  sets  of  the  Norfolk 
Queen.  The  next  best  is  the  White  Pearl  onion.  The  sets  are 
planted  in  September  in  rows  16  inches  apart  and  about  3  inches 
in  the  rows. 

Even  in  field  culture  it  does  not  pay  to  plant  onions  wide 
enough  in  the  rows  to  admit  of  horse  cultivation.  The  entire 
soil  must  be  made  very  rich,  and  close  planting  gives  the  heav- 


ONIONS  39 

iest  crop.  The  cultivation  is  done  with  hand  wheel  cultivators. 
One  must  get  down  on  his  knees  and  take  out  every  weed  by 
hand,  for  this  crop  will  not  tolerate  weeds  in  the  rows.  The 
sets  are  planted  rather  shallow,  and  late  in  the  fall  the  soil  is 
thrown  to  each  side  of  the  rows  as  a  winter  protection,  to  be 
pulled  away  in  early  spring  for  the  bulbs  to  form  near  the  sur- 
face. 

The  green  onions  will  be  ready  to  use  as  soon  as  they  are 
as  large  as  one's  thumb  end  and  so  on  till  half  grown.  These 
fall-planted  sets  often  tend  to  run  to  seed,  and  if  allowed  to  do 
so,  the  bulb  will  be  worthless.  Hence,  attention  must  be  given 
in  spring  and  any  seed  stalks  that  appear  must  be  nipped  out  at 
once. 

The  Yellow  Potato  is  the  first  ripe  onion,  and  when  grown 
for  sale  it  comes  on  the  market  a  good  while  before  the  general 
seed-grown  crop  of  the  North,  usually  bringing  a  good  price. 
This  onion  never  makes  seed,  but  makes  offsets  at  the  root, 
which  are  used  as  sets  for  planting  in  September.  A  large  set 
will  make  a  good  onion  and  a  number  of  sets,  while  a  small  one 
will  usually  make  one  large  onion.  A  large  and  fully  grown 
onion  will,  if  planted,  burst  up  into  twenty  to  thirty  sets,  and  to 
produce  the  sets  in  quantity  it  is  well  to  plant  some  large  onions 
in  the  fall.  In  the  spring  the  offsets  can  be  pulled  off  and 
cleaned  and  bunched  for  green  onions. 

As  I  have  said,  the  Yellow  Potato  onion  makes  the  earliest 
ripe  crop.  It  is  not  a  good  keeper  and  should  be  sold  at  once, 
if  grown  for  sale.  No  attempt  should  be  made  to  carry  the 
sets  over  for  spring  planting,  for  they  will  be  worthless  and 
sprouted  by  spring;  and  being  perfectly  hardy,  the  best  place 
for  any  unsold  sets  is  in  the  ground  in  the  fall.  The  great 
onion  crop  of  the  North  is  grown  directly  from  seed  sown  as 
early  in  spring  as  the  soil  can  be  gotten  in  good  order.  This 
crop  can  easily  be  grown  in  the  South,  too,  and  it  is  far  cheaper 
to  grow  them  from  seed  than  from  sets.  Even  when  planted  in 
spring  the  onion  sets  are  apt  to  run  to  seed,  especially  if  large. 

The  kinds  that  are  grown  from  spring-sown  seed  are  the 
New  England  varieties  such  as  the  Southport  White,  Yellow 
or  Red  Globe,  the  Danvers  Yellow  Globe  and  the  Red  Wethers- 
field.    To  make  good  onions  directly  from  seed  the  earlier  they 


40  massey's  garden  book 

can  ue  sown  the  better.  If  the  soil  can  be  gotten  in  good  order 
in  February  that  will  be  the  best  time  to  sow  in  the  South  in 
general,  and  never  later  than  early  March.  The  seed  are  sown 
with  a  garden  seed  drill  in  rows  16  inches  apart  and  worked 
with  the  hand  wheel  cultivator  or  the  Norcross  cultivator  hoe. 
They  must  be  thinned  to  3  inches,  and  every  weed  and  sprig  of 
grass  kept  strictly  out  of  the  rows.  When  the  tops  turn  yellow- 
ish and  tend  to  fall  over,  the  crop  should  be  pulled  and  let  lie 
in  the  sun  all  day,  but  before  night  spread  out  in  a  warm  place 
under  cover.  Let  them  cure  with  the  tops  on  and  do  not  re- 
move the  tops  till  wanted  for  use  or  sale.  Before  cold  weather 
get  them  into  a  perfectly  dark  outhouse  and  do  not  pile  thickly. 
If  the  building  is  tight,  what  frost  may  get  in  will  do  no  harm, 
for  it  is  better  to  have  a  little  freezing  than  to  get  them  warm 
and  sprouting.  Where  intended  for  sale  they  should  be  sold 
as  soon  as  cured  so  as  to  get  in  ahead  of  the  Northern  crop. 

The  White  Multiplier  is  similar  to  the  Yellow  Potato  onion 
in  that  it  never  makes  seed  but  increases  by  offsets  at  the  root. 
It  never  makes  a  large  onion,  but  makes  fine  white  pickling 
onions  and  good  onions  for  bunching  green.  It  is  the  best 
keeper  of  any  onion.  I  have  kept  them  all  winter  in  a  heap  on 
a  barn  floor  and  did  not  lose  an  onion. 

Onion  Sets — Sets  of  the  New  England  varieties  are 
grown  from  seed  sown  especially  for  this  purpose.  The  seed 
are  sown  very  thickly  in  rows  16  inches  apart,  as  much  as  50 
pounds  of  seed  being  sown  on  an  acre,  where  they  are  grown 
on  a  large  scale.  Most  of  the  onion  sets  on  the  market  are 
grown  in  Illinois,  but  for  eastern  planting  the  western  sets  are 
not  as  good  as  the  home-grown  ones,  for  in  the  East  they  tend 
to  make  long  thick-necked  scallions  rather  than  good  bulbs. 
Hence,  if  the  gardener  in  the  South  Atlantic  section  wishes  to 
plant  sets,  he  had  better  grow  them  himself. 

The  seed  should  be  sown  in  good  garden  soil  which  has 
been  manured  for  other  crops,  but  no  special  fertilization  is 
used  on  such  soils,  as  we  do  not  want  the  bulbs  to  grow  too 
large.  About  the  size  of  a  boy's  playing  marble  is  the  proper 
dimension,  and  hence  we  sow  the  seed  very  thickly.  Sow  the 
seed  early  in  April  and  the  sets  will  ripen  in  late  June.  The 
tops  are  then  sheared  off  and  the  onions  taken  up  and  cured, 


PARSNIPS  41 

generally  in  trays  exposed  to  the  sun  and  taken  in  at  night. 
These  can  then  be  replanted  in  September  or  kept  in  a  cold 
place  for  early  planting  in  spring.  They  can  be  culled  by  using 
a  sieve  with  openings  large  enough  to  let  the  very  small  ones 
through,  and  keeping  the  good  ones  in.  Then  the  very  small 
sets  can  be  sown  thinly  like  seed  to  make  onions  while  the  good- 
sized  sets  are  planted  3  inches  apart  as  heretofore  directed. 

Onions  (Spanish  and  Italian) — The  large  Spanish,  Italian 
and  Bermuda  varieties  of  onions  can  be  grown  by  sowing  the 
seed  in  January  in  a  cold  frame  under  glass  sashes,  and  when 
the  plants  are  as  stout  as  a  lead  pencil  in  March,  transplant 
just  like  sets,  nipping  the  tops  and  roots  slightly.  These  plants 
will  make  the  large  onions  often  seen  in  crates,  each  onion 
weighing  a  pound  or  more.  The  varieties  for  this  method  are 
the  Prizetaker,  Denia,  Giant  Gibraltar,  Mammoth  Pompeii  and 
some  others,  as  well  as  the  white  and  pink  Bermudas^  The  Ber- 
muda onion  can  be  grown  directly  from  seed  sown  in  the  open 
ground  early  in  spring,  but  are  grown  earlier  by  the  transplant- 
ing method.  In  the  lower  South  sow  seed  in  September  and 
transplant  when  large  enough. 

Parsnips 

These  roots  are  too  much  neglected  in  the  South.  'Pars- 
nips make  a  fine  addition  to  the  winter  table.  They  can  be  eaten 
freshly  boiled  or  the  boiled  roots  can  be  sliced  and  fried,  and 
being  perfectly  hardy  they  can  remain  in  the  rows  where  grown 
till  wanted  for  use.  Parsnip  seed  are  light  and  chaffy,  and  are 
sometimes  hard  to  germinate,  especially  in  soil  that  crusts  much. 
I  have  found  that  the  best  way  to  get  a  stand  is  to  plant  a  small 
pinch  of  seed  in  a  place  about  4  inches  apart  in  the  row  and 
make  the  rows  20  inches  apart.  Then  the  little  bunches  can  be 
easily  thinned.  But  do  not  handle  parsnip  leaves  when  wet,  for 
if  the  wet  leaves  touch  parts  of  the  wrist  usually  covered  by 
clothing,  they  will  cause  troublesome  blisters. 

As  to  varieties,  there  is  really  but  one,  the  Hollow  Crown. 
A  variation  of  this  called  the  Student  differs  only  in  having 
shorter  roots.  The  general  directions  in  the  seed  catalogues 
call  for  sowing  the  seed  as  early  in  spring  as  the  soil  can  be 


42  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

worked.  This  is  all  right  in  the  North,  but  in  the  longer-grow- 
ing season  in  the  South  this  early  sowing  will  result  in  over- 
grown and  somewhat  woody  roots.  Better  sow  in  June,  and  get 
smaller  but  tender  roots.  In  fact,  they  will  keep  growing  in  the 
South  till  mid-winter  and  make  their  best  growth  in  the  fall 
months.    Sow  one  ounce  to  200  feet  of  row. 

Parsley 

Every  housekeeper  wants  parsley  leaves  for  garnishing 
the  dishes  and  to  flavor  soups  and  meats.  The  seed  should  be 
sown  rather  thickly  on  a  border  in  rows  a  foot  apart.  Sow 
very  early  in  spring,  for  the  seed  are  slow  to  germinate  and 
need  the  soil  to  be  moist.  A  bed  will  run  through  summer,  fall, 
winter  and  early  spring  of  the  second  year  before  running  to 
seed.  Hence,  it  is  best  to  sow  a  bed  every  spring  to  take  the 
place  of  the  one  that  is  running  to  seed. 

The  more  completely  the  leaves  are  curled  the  better,  and 
it  is  therefore  desirable  to  save  seed  from  a  plant  of  the  most 
intensely  curled  character,  and  prevent  any  plain-leaved  plants 
from  seeding.  Fresh  seed  is  very  important  and  it  is  desirable 
to  save  some  in  the  home  garden.  The  best  variety  is  the 
Champion  Moss  Curled. 

Peas 

Peas  (Garden) — Most  people  are  fond  of  peas  and  every- 
body likes  to  get  them  earlier  than  his  neighbors.  All  the  seeds- 
men offer  special  varieties  of  the  "extra  early"  peas.  Formerly 
these  were  all  selected  strains  of  the  old  Early  Kent,  a  yellow 
seeded  pea.  But  of  late  years  the  greenish  seeded  Alaska  type 
has  prevailed,  and  while  every  seedsman  claims  to  have  the  best 
strain  of  extra  early  peas,  they  all  belong  to  the  Alaska  type. 
Some  may  be  purer  to  type  than  others,  but  all  are  very  much 
alike.  I  have  found  a  variety  called  the  Nonpareil  to  come  in 
as  early  as  any  I  have  tried. 

But  the  very  early  peas  are  not  of  as  high  quality  as  those 
that  come  in  a  little  later  and  the  very  late  ones.  I  always  plant 
a  few  of  the  extra  early  variety  for  beginning,  but  depend 
mainly  on  the  later  peas  of  better  quality,  those  with  wrinkled 


PEAS  43 

seed.  Some  of  these  are  now  quite  early  and  I  find  that  by 
sowing  the  very  dwarf  sorts  like  Sutton's  Excelsior  and  Thomas 
Laxton  that  they  come  into  use  before  the  Nonpareil  are  all 
too  old  for  use ;  and  there  are  a  number  of  the  later  and  taller 
sorts  that  are  of  high  quality,  while  the  oldest  of  these,  the 
Champion  of  England,  is  one  of  the  best. 

The  early  and  dwarf  sorts  need  no  support,  but  the  tall 
late  ones  must  have  something  to  climb  on.  I  plant  them  along 
a  woven  wire  fence  or  stretch  a  5- foot  width  of  chicken  wire 
for  them  to  run  on.  The  growers  who  plant  largely  for  mar- 
ket plant  only  the  extra  early  sorts  which  give  their  whole  crop 
at  once  and  early,  for  the  later  peas  would  come  into  competi- 
tion with  the  extra  early  ones  north  of  us.  But  for  home  use 
the  wrinkled  seeded  peas  are  far  better  and  larger. 

Peas  do  not  need  large  applications  of  nitrogen,  but  do 
need  plenty  of  phosphoric  acid,  and  should  have  a  liberal  ap- 
plication of  acid  phosphate  to  supplement  the  stable  manure 
usually  applied  to  gardens.  I  use  very  fine  ground  bone  meal 
and  find  it  good. 

Chicken  wire  of  various  widths  is  the  cheapest  and  best 
support  for  peas  or  beans  or  any  climbing  plants.  For  the  va- 
rieties of  medium  height  the  3-foot  width  is  sufficient,  and  for 
tall  sorts  like  the  Champion  of  England  the  5-foot  width  is 
best.  Even  the  extra  early  peas  will  be  a  little  better  off  with 
a  2-foot  width  of  the  wire,  though  it  is  common  to  let  these 
grow  without  support. 

The  time  for  sowing  the  extra  early  peas  will  vary,  of 
course,  with  one's  climate.  In  the  light  sandy  soils  of  the  east- 
ern coast  section,  the  time  to  get  them  in  the  ground  is  the  first 
good  weather  after  New  Year's  day.  The  later  peas,  of  the 
wrinkled  class,  should  not  be  sown  so  early,  as  they  are  apt  to 
rot  in  the  ground  in  cold  weather.  But  they  can  be  sown  in 
late  February  and  early  March.  Much  later  sowing  than  the 
middle  of  March  will  be  liable  to  be  caught  by  the  hot  weather 
and  prove  a  failure.  The  dwarf  extra  early  peas  can  be  sown 
in  rows  3  feet  apart,  while  the  taller  ones  will  need  a  4-foot 
space  between  the  rows. 


44  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Peppers 

Considerable  interest  has  arisen  in  the  crop  of  sweet  green 
peppers  which  many  market  growers  have  found  profitable  for 
northern  markets.  For  this  early  crop,  the  seed  are  sown  in  a 
hotbed  under  glass  in  February  and  transplanted  to  frames 
under  sashes,  like  tomato  plants,  to  harden  for  setting  out  after 
frost  is  over.  For  home  use  they  are  mainly  desired  for  stuff- 
ing for  pickles  in  the  fall.  Seed  sown  in  a  bed  in  the  open  will 
give  plants  that  will  fruit  well  at  pickling  time. 

Pepper  should  be  planted  in  heavily  manured  garden  soil  in 
rows  2^2  feet  apart  and  about  18  inches  in  the  rows.  The  va- 
rieties that  have  been  generally  used  are  the  Ruby  King  and 
the  Neapolitan.  The  only  difference  is  that  the  Neapolitan 
holds  its  fruit  more  upright  than  the  Ruby  King,  on  which  the 
peppers  hang  down.  The  Chinese  Giant  has  come  into  use  in 
some  sections,  and  I  have  grown  them,  but  can  find  no  advan- 
tage in  them.  The  pods  are  too  large  and  ungainly,  and  the 
plants  are  not  so  productive  as  the  Ruby  King. 

A  pepper  somewhat  newly  introduced  is  the  Pimiento,  a 
Spanish  variety.  This  does  not  have  wrinkled  pods  like  the 
others,  but  is  perfectly  smooth  and  of  a  bluntly  conical  form. 
It  is  thick  fleshed  and  the  sweetest  of  peppers,  having  not  a 
trace  of  fire  in  it.  It  has  become  popular  for  canning.  It  is  a 
very  productive  pepper,  and  will  be  likely  to  supersede  the 
others  as  people  get  acquainted  with  its  quality.  By  starting 
the  plants  early  under  glass  this  variety  will  give  green  pods 
by  the  last  of  June  or  early  July,  and  plants  sown  in  the  open 
ground  will  furnish  pods  till  frost. 

Potatoes — Irish 

The  Irish  potato  crop  is  one  of  the  crops  that  are  bet- 
ter adapted  to  the  outer  truck  patch  and  horse  culture  than 
to  the  enclosed  garden.  Every  farmer  should  produce  plenty 
of  these  potatoes  not  only  for  home  use  all  the  year  through, 
but  as  a  source  of  profit  in  his  local  market.  I  do  not  advise 
farmers  as  a  rule  to  attempt  truck  crops  for  northern  shipment. 
This  is  a  business  in  itself,  and  demands  the  whole  time  and 


IRISH  POTATOES  « 

attention  of  the  grower,  and  the  man  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing cannot  give  the  truck  crops  the  proper  attention. 

A  mellow  sandy  loam,  on  which  a  crop  of  cowpeas  has 
been  grown  and  turned  under  in  the  early  fall,  and  rye  sown 
on  the  land  in  September  so  as  to  make  a  good  fall  growth  and 
to  have  quite  a  mat  of  rye  to  turn  under  in  February,  will  make 
an  ideal  preparation  for  the  early  potato  crop.  Some  slight 
acidity  from  the  organic  decay  will  make  conditions  unfavor- 
able to  the  scab  fungus.  While  I  would  not  say  that  acid  condi- 
tions in  the  soil  are  best  for  the  potato  crop,  they  are  less  favor- 
able to  the  growth  of  the  scab,  and  the  use  of  lime,  while  per- 
haps favoring  a  larger  crop  of  potatoes,  will  also  make  condi- 
tions favorable  to  the  scab,  and  a  fair  crop  of  clean  potatoes  is 
worth  more  than  a  large  crop  of  scabby  ones. 

If  some  old  rotten  manure  is  available  it  may  be  profitably 
spread  broadcast  before  turning  under  the  rye,  but  do  not  put 
fresh  stable  manure  in  the  furrows,  as  that,  too,  will  encourage 
the  scab.  High-grade  commercial  fertilizers  will  make  the  clean- 
est crop,  though  I  have  made  fine  crops  from  manure  spread 
broadcast  in  the  fall  and  only  acid  phosphate  used  in  the  fur- 
rows in  spring. 

There  is  no  early  crop  on  which  the  truck  growers  are 
more  lavish  in  the  use  of  fertilizers,  for  the  crop  coming  off 
early  leaves  a  residual  effect  that  will  give  a  large  crop  of  corn 
after  the  potatoes  are  dug,  though  if  the  future  improvement 
of  the  soil  is  looked  after  it  would  be  better  to  sow  peas  after 
the  potatoes,  and  use  them  for  hay  to  feed  stock  and  make  ma- 
nure, and  follow  the  peas  with  crimson  clover,  which  can  be 
turned  under  the  next  spring  to  make  a  heavy  crop  of  sweet 
potatoes.  Usually  it  is  the  practice  to  use  a  large  percentage 
of  potash  in  the  fertilizer  for  the  early  Irish  potatoes. 

For  early  potatoes  I  would  make  the  furrows  rather  shal- 
low and  2l/2  feet  apart.  We  need  the  early  warmth  of  the  sun 
and  hence  should  plant  rather  shallow.  Cut  the  potatoes  to  two 
eyes  and  drop  15  inches  apart  in  the  furrows,  after  mixing  the 
fertilizer  in  the  furrow  by  running  a  bull-tongue  through. 

Cover  with  a  furrow  from  each  side  and  at  once  harrow 
level  in  order  to  start  them  earlier.  As  soon  as  the  plants  ap- 
pear, run  the  weeder  over  the  field  to  loosen  the  crust  and  de- 


46  MASSEY*S  GARDEN  BOOK 

stroy  germinating  weeds.  Then  cultivate  rapidly  with  the  cul- 
tivator and  lay  by  with  a  plow  or  a  broad  sweep  as  blooms  ap- 
pear, hilling  well. 

As  to  varieties,  the  market  growers  in  the  South  Atlantic 
region  use  the  Irish  Cobbler  almost  exclusively.  Farther  west, 
the  Triumph  is  still  largely  grown,  and  some  still  plant  Early 
Rose  and  Early  Ohio.  The  Pride  of  the  South  or  White  Bliss 
Triumph  is  a  good  variety,  and  better  for  family  use  than  the 
Irish  Cobbler. 

Late  Crop  Potatoes — It  has  been  the  practice  to  grow  a 
second  crop  from  seed  of  the  early  crop,  but  since  the  use  of 
the  Irish  Cobbler  has  become  so  common  it  has  been  found  that 
it  is  less  adapted  to  this  use  than  the  Triumph  or  the  Early 
Rose,  and  the  uncertainty  of  the  crop  has  led  to  the  use  of  seed 
potatoes  that  have  been  kept  over  from  the  previous  fall  in  cold 
storage. 

For  making  the  late  crop  it  is  better  to  use  these  early  va- 
rieties that  have  been  kept  in  cold  storage  than  try  to  make  a 
second  crop  from  seed  of  the  early  one.  While  there  are  many 
very  good  late  varieties  of  potatoes,  as  a  rule  I  consider  it  bet- 
ter to  use  the  early  varieties  from  cold  storage  for  growing  the 
late  crop,  because  they  will  not  only  make  a  good  winter  supply, 
but  will  make  the  best  of  seed  for  planting  the  early  crop  in  the 
spring. 

For  a  regular  late  potato  many  now  use  the  Lookout  Moun- 
tain, which  I  have  never  grown.  I  have  found  that  the  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh,  while  not  so  heavy  a  cropper  as  some,  is  a 
potato  of  fine  quality.  The  late  crop  can  be  planted  at  any  time 
from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  middle  of  July,  and  in  the  far 
South,  even  later.  In  fact,  once,  in  a  very  late  fall,  I  made  a 
good  crop  of  Early  Rose  potatoes  that  did  not  appear  above 
ground  till  September,  but  frost  held  off  that  fall  till  Decem- 
ber 1st. 

For  growing  the  late  crop,  conditions  are  very  different 
from  those  present  with  the  early  crop.  We  have  to  look  care- 
fully after  the  soil  moisture  in  the  dry  and  hot  weather  usually 
present  in  late  summer  and  fall.  Hence,  instead  of  planting 
shallow  and  hilling  up  I  plant  in  deep  furrows,  cover  very  shal- 
low till  they  start,  and  then  work  the  soil  to  them  as  they  grow 


RADISHES  *7 

till  level.  Cultivate  shallow  and  level  to  keep  a  dust  blanket  on 
the  surface  to  conserve  moisture  in  the  soil  and  do  not  hill  up 
to  dry  out.  Keep  the  cultivator  running  rapidly  and  frequently 
till  they  bloom.  This  crop  will  grow  till  cut  down  by  frost,  and 
when  this  takes  place  the  crop  should  be  dug  at  once,  and 
stored  in  a  totally  dark  cellar  or  buried  outside  with  earth — 
covering  enough  to  keep  out  frost.  Heat  and  light  are  dam- 
aging, and  the  nearer  we  can  keep  the  potatoes  only  a  few 
degrees  above  the  freezing  point  and  the  darker  the  storage 
place  the  better  they  will  keep. 

I  have  grown  the  second  crop  from  seed  of  the  early  crop 
in  the  following  way:  Let  them  mature  and  dig.  Then  cut 
them  at  once  in  halves,  spread  out  and  cover  with  pine  straw, 
keeping  that  moist.  Then  plant  them  as  they  sprout  and  do  not 
plant  any  that  have  not  sprouted.  Plant  deep  and  cover  shal- 
low as  advised  above. 

Careful  experiments  have  shown  that  the  late  grown  crop 
of  the  early  varieties  makes  the  best  seed  for  spring  planting. 
The  seed  potatoes  grown  in  Maine  have  developed  so  much 
disease  that  crops  grown  from  them  are  always  infested  with 
the  black  shank  disease  and  may  bring  us  the  powdery  mildew, 
a  far  worse  disease.  A  late  crop  grown  from  the  cold  storage 
seed  will  produce  a  better  and  more  healthy  crop  in  the  South. 

Radishes 

The  early  radishes  are  a  crop  for  the  cool  spring  weather. 
Then  there  are  later  summer  varieties,  but  these  are  little 
grown,  though  useful  at  times.  Then,  too,  there  are  the  large 
winter  sorts  like  the  Celestial  and  the  Red  Chinese  which  are 
sown  in  the  fall  and  make  roots  of  immense  size.  To  grow  the 
early  radishes  the  soil  must  be  made  very  rich,  for  to  be  good 
they  must  grow  quickly.  The  earliest  crop  can  be  grown  by 
sowing  seed  early  in  January  in  a  cold  frame  in  alternate  rows 
with  early  beets.  These  will  come  in  early  in  March.  Then 
seed  can  be  sown  in  the  open  garden  as  early  in  February  as  the 
soil  can  be  gotten  in  good  order,  and  as  the  early  turnip-rooted 
varieties  soon  become  pithy  it  is  better  to  sow  again  in  March 
and  again  in  April. 


48  MASSEY  S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Then,  if  the  summer  varieties  are  wanted,  spw  again  in 
early  May.  The  winter  varieties  are  sown  in  September,  and 
if  well  mulched  with  manure  between  the  rows  they  will  keep 
good  all  winter. 

As  to  varieties,  the  White-Tipped  Early  Turnip-Rooted  is 
as  good  as  any,  and  the  White  Strasburg  and  Chartier  for 
summer.  For  winter  the  Celestial  and  the  Scarlet  China  sown 
in  September.  The  Celestial  is  a  very  large  white  radish  and  is 
excellent  boiled  like  turnips,  making  a  dish  better  than  turnips. 
The  old  Chinese  Rose  Colored  winter  radish  has  been  super- 
seded by  the  Scarlet  China. 

Rhubarb 

On  dry  upland  in  the  South,  rhubarb  is  very  uncertain  and 
apt  to  die  out.  The  best  variety  is  the  Linnaeus.  Plant  the 
roots  3  x  3  feet  in  rich  moist  soil  and  mulch  heavily  with  ma- 
nure in  spring  and  summer  to  retain  the  moisture  and  promote 
the  growth  of  the  crop.  Rhubarb  needs  heavy  and  constant 
manuring  to  #  make  good  stalks.  After  four  years  growth  in 
one  place  it  is  best  to  lift  the  roots  and  divide  and  replant  in 
fresh  soil. 

Rhubarb  can  be  kept  in  winter  more  easily  than  almost  any 
other  vegetable.  The  stalks  are  simply  cut  in  small  pieces  and 
packed  in  fruit  jars  and  then  cold  water  enough  poured  in  to 
fill  the  jar  and  the  top  fastened  down.  It  keeps  in  this  way 
till  the  fresh  crop  comes  in  the  spring. 

Salsify 

Salsify  is  also  known  as  "oyster  plant,"  as  the  roots  boiled 
and  made  into  cakes  and  fried  taste  very  much  like  fried  oys- 
ters. They  are  good,  too,  when  simply  stewed.  Salsify  is  one 
of  the  earliest  crops  planted  in  the  North,  but  in  the  South 
should  not  be  planted  before  June  or  in  the  lower  South  in 
July.  If  planted  early  it  is  apt  to  run  to  seed.  The  seed  are 
planted  rather  thinly  in  rows  16  inches  apart  and  thinned  very 
little,  as  they  will  develop  to  full  size  when  only  an  inch  apart. 

Salsify  makes  its  best  growth  in  the  cool  fall  weather  and 
will  crow  on  through  the  greater  part  of  the  winter,  being  per- 


SPINACH — SQUASH  4S 

fectly  hardy.  They  need  a  deep  loose  soil  so  that  the  long  roots 
may  run  down  straight  without  getting  forked.  They  are  at 
their  best  after  frost,  and  can  be  taken  up  for  use  all  winter  and 
till  they  start  to  grow  again  in  spring.  Do  not  take  up  more  at 
a  time  than  are  to  be  used,  for  the  roots  will  soon  wilt. 

Spinach 

Spinach  is  one  of  the  best  of  winter  greens,  and  can  be 
had  in  constant  use  from  early  fall  till  late  spring.  The  only 
variety  worth  sowing  is  the  round-seeded  Norfolk  Savoy.  The 
catalogues  offer  the  prickly-seeded  variety,  but  it  is  little  used 
except  sometimes  for  spring  sowing. 

We  make  the  first  sowing  in  late  August  in  rows  16  inches 
apart  in  heavily  fertilized  soil.  This  is  for  use  in  the  fall.  An- 
other sowing  is  made  the  middle  of  September  to  keep  up  the 
supply  till  Christmas  and  New  Year's. 

In  the  upper  South  make  a  sowing  early  in  ^  October  to 
winter  over  for  late  winter  and  early  spring  cutting.  In  the 
lower  South  make  this  sowing  early  in  November. 

Spinach  must  be  grown  rapidly  to  be  good,  and  heavy  fer- 
tilization is  neded.  Being  very  hardy,  it  will  furnish  greens  all 
winter.  In  cutting,  the  plant  should  be  cut  entirely  to  the 
ground.  The  crop  is  largely  grown  around  Norfolk,  Virginia, 
for  shipping  in  barrels  north. 

Squash 

The  squashes  or  cymlings  commonly  grown  in  the  South 
are  the  early  summer  bush  varieties.  The  hard  shell  or  winter 
squashes  seldom  do  well  in  the  South  except  in  the  mountain 
section.  They  are  popular  in  the  North,  but  in  the  South  we 
can  do  with  our  soft  yam  sweet  potatoes  all  that  they  do  with 
the  winter  squashes  in  the  North — and  better,  we  think. 

The  Early  White  Bush  or  Pattypan  is  one  of  the  best  and 
most  generally  used  of  summer  squash.  There  is  also  a  bush 
of  similar  growth  with  yellow  colored  squashes.  Both  are  good. 
Then  there  is  the  long  yellow  crookneck  squash  which  is  also 
eoo  d. 


50  massey's  garden  book 

Plant  the  summer  sorts  in  well-manured  hills  4  feet  each 
way.  The  winter  varieties  will  need  as  much  room  as  water- 
melons or  pumpkins.  Squashes  are  apt  to  be  attacked  by  the 
striped  or  spotted  beetles  as  soon  as  they  come  through  the 
ground.  Keep  the  plants  covered  with  tobacco  dust  as  soon  as 
they  appear  or  fine  dust  of  any  sort.  The  tobacco  dust  is  best, 
as  it  also  helps  the  growth  of  the  plants. 

The  winter  squashes  (Beston,  Marrow  and  Hubbard  being 
the  best  varieties)  do  as  well  in  the  cornfield  as  pumpkins  do, 
but  if  planted  early,  in  the  warmer  parts  of  the  South,  the 
squashes  are  apt  to  rot  on  the  vines.  Planted  in  July,  they  may 
succeed. 

Tomatoes 

There  is  no  garden  vegetable  more  generally  used  and  cul- 
tivated than  the  tomato,  and  the  varieties  grown  are  innumer- 
able. During  the  last  forty  years  there  has  been  great  improve- 
ment made  in  the  character  of  the  fruit  of  the  tomato.  Before 
then  we  had  large  solid  varieties  but  very  rough  and  irregular 
in  form.  We  also  had  a  smooth  tomato  that  was  very  hollow 
and  seedy.  The  first  effort  to  make  a  solid  and  smooth  tomato 
was  in  the  Trophy,  sent  out  about  forty  years  ago  by  the  late 
Col.  George  Waring,  who  was  generally  noted  as  a  civil  en- 
gineer. He  became  interested  in  the  improvement  of  the  to- 
mato, and  announced  that  he  had  succeeded  in  putting  the  old 
Mexican  Chihuahua  tomato  into  a  smooth  skin.  He  called  it 
the  Trophy  and  advertised  the  seed  at  twenty  for  $5.  I  paid 
the  $5  early  in  January  and  got  the  seed.  I  sowed  them  at 
once  in  my  greenhouse,  and  seventeen  of  them  came  up.  Then 
they  were  potted,  and  as  fast  as  they  grew  I  took  cuttings, 
rooted  them,  and  by  planting  them  in  spring  I  had  150  plants  in 
pots.  I  sold  eighteen  of  these  for  50  cents  each,  and  planted 
the  remainder.  From  these  I  saved  seed  and  planted  a  large 
field  the  following  season ;  and  the  crop  was  a  very  remunera- 
tive one. 

Since  then  we  have  had  new  varieties  of  tomatoes  offered 
by  the  seedsmen  year  after  year.  Being  interested  in  tomatoes 
I  have  tested  most  of  the  varieties  brought  out.  Every  season 
some  seedsman  claims  that  he  has  the  earliest  ever,  but  there 


TOMATOES  51 

has  been  very  little  advance  in  earliness  since  the  introduction 
of  Maule's  Earliest.  Then  came  Sparks'  Earliana,  which 
seemed  to  be  identical  with  Maule's  Earliest,  and  both  were 
rather  rough  in  form.  But  the  seedsmen  have  been  at  work  on 
these,  and  now  the  Langdon  Earliana  is  as  smooth  as  any.  Still 
later,  the  Bonny  Best  came  out,  and  is  a  much  better  and  more 
meaty  variety  than  the  Earliana,  also  having  the  valuable  qual- 
ity of  continuing  in  fruit  longer  than  the  Earliana,  which  ripens 
its  whole  crop  early  and  quits.  The  Earliana  is  valuable  for 
the  market  grower  on  this  account,  but  for  the  home  garden  the 
Bonny  Best  is  now  the  best  early  tomato,  being  but  a  few  days 
lattr  than  Earliana,  and  far  better  in  quality. 

For  the  earliest  tomatoes  I  now  use  only  the  Bonny  Best, 
and  it  not  only  gives  me  early  fruit,  but  keeps  bearing  till  the 
later  sorts  are  well  under  way  in  fruiting.  Eor  the  main  or 
late  canning  crop  the  Stone  is  universally  used,  but  for  the 
home  garden  I  prefer  Success,  Red  Rock,  Globe,  and  Missis- 
sippi Girl. 

To  have  tomatoes  early  the  plants  must  be  forwarded  un- 
der glass  and  several  times  transplanted  to  make  them  strong. 
The  time  for  sowing  is  about  ten  weeks  before  the  time  for 
setting  out  in  any  locality.  I  sow  the  seed  in  shallow  boxes  in 
my  greenhouses.  As  soon  as  they  are  large  enough  to  handle, 
they  are  either  transplanted  to  other  boxes  and  given  more 
room  or  are  set  in  flower  pots  of  the  2^-inch  size.  Later,  the 
plants  are  set  in  cold  frames  under  glass  sashes  4  inches  apart 
each  way,  and  are  then  exposed  to  the  air  in  all  warm  and 
sunny  weather,  so  as  to  gradually  harden  them  to  the  air,  till 
the  stems  assume  a  purplish  color  instead  of  the  tender  green. 
I  take  up  the  plants  with  a  garden  trowel  and  a  mass  of  soil, 
setting  them  in  holes  filled  with  water  and  pulling  the  dry  earth 
around  them.  Treated  in  this  way  they  seldom  wilt  at  all. 
Then,  if  frost  threatens,  I  bend  the  plants  over  and  cover  them 
with  the  soil  till  the  cold  passes.  I  once  carried  them  through 
a  freeze  that  dropped  to  21  degrees  in  this  way. 

Where  there  is  no  greenhouse  it  is  best  to  sow  the  seed 
in  a  hotbed  under  glass  sashes,  and  from  this  transplant  them 
to  the  cold  frames.  But  do  not  let  them  get  crowded  and  drawn 
up  slender  in  the  hotbed,  for  such  plants  will  be  little  better 


52  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

than  those  sown  outside.  They  must  be  transplanted  to  get 
stout  and  strong.  Seed  can  also  be  sown  in  a  shallow  box  in 
a  sunny  window  of  a  warm  room,  transplanted  into  another 
box  or  boxes  with  several  inches  of  room,  and  finally  set  in  a 
frame  covered  with  cloth  to  harden  off. 

In  the  heat  of  late  June  and  July,  the  early  tomatoes  are 
apt  to  fail  and  make  inferior  fruit.  To  provide  against  this,  I 
sow  seed  thinly  in  the  open  ground  early  in  April  to  get  strong 
plants,  set  these  out  to  succeed  the  early  ones  as  they  fail,  and 
when  these  come  in,  I  clean  out  the  early  plants.  Then,  I  make 
the  third  sowing  outside  about  the  first  of  June  so  as  to  have 
plants  that  will  come  in  with  their  best  fruit  in  September  and 
October.  I  also  like  to  have  an  abundance  of  well-grown  green 
tomatoes  when  frost  threatens.  These  are  then  gathered, 
wrapped  in  paper  and  stored  in  crates  in  the  cellar.  Some  are 
brought  into  the  kitchen  window  every  few  days  to  ripen  up, 
and  in  this  way  I  have  had  a  constant  supply  for  slicing  for  the 
table  till  January. 

I  plant  the  early  tomatoes  in  rows  3  feet  apart  and  2  feet 
apart  in  the  rows.  A  stake  is  set  to  each  plant,  the  plants 
trained  up  to  a  single  stem  and  tied  loosely  to  the  stakes.  All 
side  shoots  are  kept  pinched  out,  and  in  this  way  we  get  the 
earliest  fruit.  The  later  sowing  I  set  4  feet  each  way  and  allow 
them  to  take  their  natural  growth  on  the  ground.  A  good 
mulch  of  pine  straw  between  the  rows,  after  the  plants  have 
gotten  to  be  a  good  size  and  before  they  fall  over,  will  keep 
them  off  the  ground  and  will  help  keep  down  the  crab  grass. 

Tomatoes  need  a  fertile  soil  but  not  too  much  nitrogen, 
which  causes  too  rank  a  growth  of  vine.  They  need  plenty  of 
acid  phosphate,  and  where  stable  manure  is  not  available,  an 
equal  mixture  of  cottonseed  meal  and  acid  phosphate  will  be 
the  best  fertilizer. 

The  Colorado  potato  beetle  will  sometimes  destroy  the 
plants  in  the  outdoor  seedbed  if  not  watched,  and  spraying  with 
lead  arsenate  is  advisable.  This  mixed  in  bordeaux  mixture 
will  keep  off  the  leaf  blight  as  well.  (Refer  to  the  chapter  on 
"Plant  Diseases  and  Insects"  elsewhere  in  this  book.)  If  you 
find  a  big  green  tobacco  worm  on  your  plants  with  little  white 
sacks  all  over  it,  do  not  destroy  that  worm,  for  it  will  soon  die 


TURNIPS — WATERMELONS  63 

and  the  little  white  sacks  will  hatch  out  spotted  lady  bugs 
to  lay  eggs  and  destroy  more  worms,  for  the  little  lady  bug  is 
one  of  the  best  friends  of  the  gardener. 

Turnips 

The  rutabaga  turnip  and  the  Large  White  French  or  Rock 
turnip  should  be  sown  in  July.  Run  out  furrows,  fertilize 
well,  bed,  flatten  the  beds  half  way,  and  sow  the  seed  in  a  row 
on  the  bed.  Thin  out  to  4  inches  apart,  as  these  grow  quite 
large.    The  best  variety  is  the  American  Purple  Top. 

In  mid-August  sow  some  of  the  early  Milan  turnips  for 
early  fall  use.  These  turnips  grow  very  quickly  and  are  useful 
in  the  early  fall,  though  they  soon  get  pithy. 

For  the  main  crop,  sow  in  September  the  Strap  Leaf  pur- 
ple top,  Purple  Top  Globe  and  Yellow  Aberdeen.  This  last  is 
one  of  the  finest  of  turnips  for  winter  use.  They  are  best  taken 
up  and  covered  with  enough  earth  to  keep  out  frost. 

For  greens,  sow  Seven  Top  turnips  in  September  and  pro- 
tect in  winter  with  some  green  pine  bushes.  The  Milan  turnips 
can  also  be  sown  in  late  February  for  spring  use. 

Turnips  are  best  sown  in  rows  and  thinned,  but  the  Seven 
Top  can  be  sown  broadcast  for  greens. 

Watermelons 

These  are  more  a  crop  for  the  field  or  the  truck  patch  than 
for  the  family  garden,  for  they  need  more  room  than  any  of  the 
so-called  garden  plants.  Large  growers  for  northern  shipment 
prepare  their  land  early  in  winter  and  check  it  out  8  x  10  feet 
and  place  half  a  bushel  of  manure  in  each  check.  Then  in 
spring  they  add  a  handful  of  good  fertilizer  and  make  up  the 
hill  and  plant.  Nitrate  of  soda  is  used  around  the  hills  as  with 
cantaloupes,  and  the  field  is  sown  to  crimson  clover  when  the 
melons  form.  The  variety  now  generally  grown  for  market  is 
the  Tom  Watson.  This  is  a  very  long  green-rind  melon  of 
very  good  quality,  and  has  almost  superseded  the  poor  quality 
Kolb's  Gem  so  long  grown  for  northern  shipment. 


64  MASSEY*S  GARDEN  BOOK 

For  home  use  I  like  the  Mclver  Sugar  melon.  This  is  a 
striped  melon,  in  shape  somewhat  between  Cuban  Queen  and 
Georgia  Rattlesnake.  It  is  a  very  sweet  melon  and  has  the  val- 
uable quality  of  never  cracking  in  the  centre.  Maule's  All- 
Heart  is  also  a  good  melon.  It  has  very  small  seed,  not  much 
larger  than  an  apple  seed.  The  rind  is  very  thin  and  the  melon 
sweet  and  good. 

In  the  South  the  so-called  pickle  worm  often  attacks  both 
cantaloupes  and  watermelons.  The  preventive  is  to  spray  with 
lead  arsenate  1  pound  to  30  gallons  of  water  and  get  it  well 
under  the  young  melons.  Rust  or  blight  also  should  be  avoided 
by  spraying  with  bordeaux  mixture,  and  the  poison  can  be  used 
with  this. 


III.— WHAT  TO  DO  IN  THE  GARDEN  EACH  MONTH 

JANUARY 

THE  EXTRA  early  varieties  of  garden  peas  of  the  Alaska 
type  should  be  planted  the  first  opportunity  for  getting 
the  soil  in  proper  order.  Open  furrows  3  feet  apart  and 
sow  the  peas  in  a  somewhat  broad  ribbon  rather  than  a  single 
direct  row  and  cover  4  to  5  inches  deep.  Among  the  improved 
strains  of  the  Alaska  type  I  have  found  the  Nonpareil  one  of 
the  best.  Do  not  sow  the  wrinkled  peas  so  early,  as  they  are 
apt  to  rot  in  the  ground.  The  date  for  these  will  be  stated 
later. 

The  Broad  Windsor  bean  can  be  planted  early  in  the 
month,  as  it  is  very  hardy,  will  not  stand  hot  weather,  and  hence 
must  be  gotten  in  early.  This  class  of  bean  is  not  much  grown  in 
this  country,  but  is  popular  in  England,  where  they  cannot 
grow  our  lima  beans  outside. 

In  the  frames  under  glass,  in  soil  very  heavily  manured 
and  fertilized,  sow  seed  of  early  Egyptian  beets  and  early  tur- 
nip-rooted radishes  in  alternate  rows  6  inches  apart.  In  the 
warmer  section  near  the  coast  these  can  be  sown  under  cotton 
cloth,  but  will  not  be  as  early  as  under  glass.  By  the  first  of 
March,  the  radishes  will  be  out,  and  the  beets  can  be  hardened 
off  gradually  and  the  glass  removed  to  other  frames  to  harden 
the  early  tomato  plants. 

Lettuce  of  the  Big  Boston  variety  can  now  be  set  in  the 
frames  for  early  spring  crop.  It  is  best  not  to  use  the  same 
frames  that  have  grown  the  Christmas  crop,  as  there  will  be 
more  disease.    Have  extra  frames  for  this  crop. 

Sow  seed  of  the  Prizetaker  onion  in  frame  under  glass  or 
cloth.  Sow  rather  thinly  in  order  to  get  good  plants.  These 
should  be  about  the  size  of  a  lead  pencil  in  early  March  for 
transplanting  to  the  open  ground.  These  plants  set  in  heavily 
enriched  soil  will  make  very  large  onions.  The  Giant  Gibraltar 
onion  is  also  a  very  large  variety  and  can  be  well  grown  in  this 
way. 

55 


56  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Sow  seed  of  the  Charleston  Wakefield  cabbage  in  a  frame 
to  succeed  the  cabbage  grown  from  fall-planted  seed.  These, 
too,  should  be  large  enough  to  set  in  March.  Copenhagen  Mar- 
ket is  also  good. 

The  last  week  in  the  month,  prepare  a  hotbed  with  glass 
sashes  for  sowing  early  tomato  seed.  This  hotbed  need  not  be 
very  large,  for  two  sashes  3x6  feet  will  start  plants  for  a  con- 
siderable area  in  the  frames  for  hardening  them  off.  The  time 
for  sowing  tomato  seed  in  any  locality  is  about  ten  weeks  before 
it  is  usually  safe  for  setting  them  in  the  open  ground.  Hence, 
January  and  February  are  the  months  for  starting  the  seed. 
If  you  have  no  hotbed,  you  can  start  plants  for  the  home  gar- 
den very  well  in  boxes  of  rich  soil  in  a  sunny  window.  As 
soon  as  the  plants  put  on  a  pair  of  the  rough  leaves,  transplant 
them  2  inches  apart  in  other  boxes  and  in  early  March  set  them 
4  inches  apart  in  a  frame  covered  with  cloth,  where  they  will 
grow  strong  and  can  be  gradually  hardened  off  to  the  outer  air 
and  transplanted. 

Seed  of  peppers  and  egg  plant  can  also  be  grown  in  the 
same  way,  but  it  is  better  to  defer  the  sowing  of  the  egg  plant 
seed  till  the  middle  of  February,  as  they  are  very  tender. 

Keep  the  garden  clear  of  chickenweed  and  the  henbit — a 
plant  with  little  purple  flowers — as  these  are  winter  weeds  and 
seed  very  early  in  spring.  They  can  be  cleaned  out  entirely  if 
destroyed  in  the  winter.  In  fact,  keep  the  garden  clean  all  the 
year  round. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

Place  orders  for  shrubbery  now.  A  few  words  about  the 
best  kinds  may  not  be  out  of  place  here. 

The  spirea  Van  Houttii,  called  Bridal  Wreath,  is  sim- 
ply a  mass  of  snowy  bloom  in  spring.  Then,  as  soon  as  the 
flowers  fade,  I  take  my  hedge  shears  and  shear  off  all  the 
blooming  shoots  and  the  bush  then  puts  out  a  strong  mass  of 
shoots  for  the  next  season.  This  spirea  makes  a  very  beautiful 
ornamental  hedge.  We  have  one  here  that  is  a  great  show  in 
spring  and  not  at  all  ugly  when  not  in  bloom. 

The  common  althea  is  one  of  the  best  summer  blooming 
shrubs  and  keeps  it  up  long  after  other  shrubs  have  faded. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  JANUARY  57 

Mine  always  bloom  from  July  till  frost.  There  are  many  colors 
of  this  plant  and  some  with  double  flowers.  They  are  rapidly 
grown  from  seed.  I  grew  plants  from  a  pure  white  variety 
and  the  plants  have  made  lilac  colored  flowers  with  crimson 
centre,  and  the  plant  constantly  varies  in  this  way. 

Crape  myrtles  of  course  we  all  want.  There  is  now  a  great 
variety  of  shades  in  the  bloom  from  almost  crimson  to  pure 
white,  and  one  with  white  flowers  with  purple  blotch  on  the 
lower  petals.  You  can  cut  around  an  old  plant  with  a  sharp 
spade  and  new  plants  will  start  from  the  cut  roots,  which  can 
be  dug  and  transplanted.  They  may  also  be  grown  from  seed, 
for  I  have  grown  hundreds  in  that  way,  and  got  some  im- 
proved forms.  I  have  had  seedlings  in  bloom  by  the  time  they 
were  a  foot  high  or  less.  The  seed  had  best  be  sowed  as  soon 
as  ripe,  as  it  is  a  little  harder  to  start  when  kept  till  spring. 

Spirea  Anthony  Waterer  is  also  a  continuous  summer  and 
fall  blooming  plant  and  its  rosy,  carmine  flowers  are  very  pretty. 
The  old  calycanthus  or  Sweet  Betsy,  every  one  wants,  and  while 
the  flowers  are  not  showy,  they  make  it  up  in  fragrance.  Deut- 
zias  are  also  fine  from  the  little  dwarf  deutzia  Gracilis  to  the 
great  bushes  of  deutzia  Crenata,  double  and  single. 

The  first  thing  to  bloom  in  spring  is  spirea  Thumbergii. 
The  flowers  are  white,  and  even  after  the  bloom  is  off  the 
feathery  foliage  is  very  pretty. 

Then,  in  addition  to  these  shrubs  that  are  hardy  every- 
where, we  can  grow  many  things  in  the  South  that  do  not  thrive 
in  the  North.  The  magnolia  fuscata,  or  banana  shrub  is  small 
but  very  sweet. 

In  the  warmer  coast  section  the  cape  jessamine  or  gardenia 
thrives,  and  all  the  Chinese  azaleas  and  the  camellia  japonica. 
The  half  hardy  evergreen  shrubs  do  better  where  shaded  from 
the  morning  sun  in  winter.  The  camellia  thrives  from  Raleigh 
southward  as  well  as  the  azaleas.  The  Chinese  sweet  olive,  too, 
is  a  hardy  and  attractive  shrub  with  its  little  fragrant  flowers. 
Then  the  holly-leaved  osmanthus  makes  a  rapid  growing  and 
beautiful  shrub  so  like  a  holly  that  many  mistake  it  for  one. 

The  Portugal  laurels  are  also  splendid  evergreens.  Some 
of  these  have  leaves  so  large  that  most  people  pass  them  for 


68  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

our  common  magnolia.  Then,  too,  there  are  eleagnus,  some 
bushes  and  others  trailing  vines  with  golden  variegated  leaves. 

Sow  such  slow-germinating  seeds  as  lobelia,  centaurea, 
salvia,  etc.,  for  bedding  plants  next  spring. 

Some  of  the  narcissi  will  force  very  well  now.  Princeps, 
Golden  Spur,  and  Single  Trumpet  Major  are  good.  The  double 
sorts  will  do  better  forced  a  month  later. 

If  you  want  snapdragons  for  making  early  flower  beds, 
sow  the  seed  now. 

If  candytuft  and  mignonette  seed  are  sown  this  month  they 
will  bloom  early  in  the  spring. 

Sweet  peas  should  also  go  in  if  not  planted  in  the  late  fall. 
It  is  essential  to  have  these  early  to  get  any  bowers  in  the 
Southern  climate.  Make  a  deep  trench  and  fill  it  half  full  of 
rotten  manure,  cover  with  soil,  and  plant  the  seed  not  too 
thickly,  but  an  inch  or  two  apart.  Cover  lightly  till  they  ger- 
minate and  then  pull  the  soil  to  them  so  as  to  get  the  roots  well 
into  the  soil  to  prevent  damage  from  dry  weather.  Then  give 
them  a  width  of  chicken  wire  netting  to  climb  on. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR   FEBRUARY  59 

FEBRUARY 

"W  TT  ^^  ^e  advancing  sun  there  is  a  great  deal  to  do  in 

^^\/     the  garden  in  February.    The  lettuce  in  the  frames 

▼V       will  need  careful  attention,  and  if  you  are  growing  it 

under  cloth,  you  should  expose  it  to  the  sun  every  mild  day, 

for  the  shade  of  the  cloth  will  draw  the  plants  up  weakly. 

Sow  seed  c  f  tomatoes,  egg  plant  and  peppers  as  directed 
in  January.  A<.  soon  as  the  soil  can  be  worked  in  good  condi- 
tion you  can  sow  seed  of  early  beets,  Egyptian  and  Eclipse  be- 
ing about  the  best  for  early  sowing.  Early  French  carrots  can 
also  be  sown  in  the  latter  half  of  the  month.  Sow  Norfolk 
Savoy  spinach  in  well-enriched  soil  in  rows  15  inches  apart  to 
follow  the  sowing  made  in  October.  The  latter  part  of  the 
month  sow  chard  in  rows  like  beets.  This  is  a  sort  of  beet  that 
makes  immense  tops,  which  are  used  for  greens.  It  is  the  best 
substitute  for  spinach  in  hot  weather. 

Get  the  early  Irish  potatoes  in  the  ground  by  the  middle 
of  the  month.  In  the  lower  South  this  should  be  done  in  late 
January  or  the  first  of  February.  If  the  potatoes  are  spread 
out  in  a  light  and  warm  place  before  time  for  planting,  so  that 
they  start  sprouts,  it  will  increase  the  earliness  of  the  crop. 

The  middle  of  the  month  sow  the  late  wrinkled  peas.  Of 
the  dwarf  varieties  that  do  not  need  sticking,  the  Thomas  Lax- 
ton  and  Sutton's  Excelsior  are  good ;  and  for  a  tall  pea  which 
needs  some  support,  the  old  Champion  of  England  is  unsur- 
passed. I  grow  these  on  a  wire  fence,  for  a  5-foot  width  of 
chicken  wire  netting  is  a  good  support  and  cheaper  than  cutting 
brush.  It  can  also  be  rolled  up  in  winter  and  put  away,  and 
with  this  treatment  will  last  indefinitely. 

The  hardy  weeds  will  be  starting.    Keep  the  garden  clean. 

Sow  a  bed  of  parsley.  Let  run  two  seasons  and  then  go  to 
seed  to  be  followed  by  another  bed. 

Sow  leek  this  month  in  the  lower  South. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

Plant  the  bulbs  or  corms  of  the  gladiolus.  _  If  you  have  a 
number  of  these  you  can  make  a  series  of  plantings  from  Feb- 


60  massey's  garden  book 

ruary  to  May  so  as  to  have  a  succession  of  the  flowers  till 
August. 

Sow  seed  of  the  annual  phlox  drummondii  if  you  sowed 
none  in  the  fall.  Fall  sowing  is  best,  for  the  plants  will  winter 
very  well  and  will  bloom  earlier  and  better  than  from  spring 
sowing. 

The  Japanese  lilies  of  the  Speciosum  type  can  also  be 
planted.  These  are  the  Rubrum,  Roseum  and  Album  and  the 
great  golden-striped  lily  Auratum.  Bulbs  of  the  Bermuda  and 
Japan  Longiflorum  lilies  that  have  been  kept  in  cold  storage 
can  be  planted  now  and  will  make  fine  flowers  in  the  open 
ground. 

Pansy  seed  are  best  sown  in  late  summer  and  set  out  in 
the  fall  so  that  they  will  bloom  early  in  spring,  but  if  none  were 
sown  then  they  will  do  fairly  well  sown  now  in  a  frame  and 
transplanted  later.  For  early  flowers,  make  the  first  sowing  of 
China  aster  seed.  I  sow  these  under  a  grape  arbor,  as  they 
germinate  better  there.  They  are  very  easy  to  transplant  if 
dropped  into  a  basin  of  water  as  soon  as  lifted  and  set  with  the 
roots  dripping  wet. 

Spanish  and  Japanese  iris  can  also  be  planted  now.  The 
Japanese  make  wonderfully  beautiful  flowers,  but  demand  a 
soil  naturally  moist,  or  where  they  can  be  regularly  irrigated, 
for  they  will  not  thrive  in  very  dry  soil.  German  iris,  too,  can 
now  be  planted.  Their  flowers  are  larger  than  the  Spanish, 
but  not  so  delicate  and  varied. 

Canna  beds,  that  were  left  last  fall  without  lifting,  but 
covered  with  the  dead  tops  and  leaves,  should  be  taken  up  the 
latter  part  of  this  month,  divided  and  replanted.  Heavy  ma- 
nuring will  make  a  great  difference  in  the  growth  of  these,  and 
plenty  of  water,  too,  will  greatly  help  them.  The  rhizomes  of 
the  cannas  will  keep  better  in  winter  in  the  well-covered  beds 
than  if  lifted  in  the  fall,  but  they  should  be  lifted  in  spring  to 
prevent  getting  the  beds  too  crowded.  The  newer  sorts  of 
cannas  make  gorgeous  heads  of  bloom  and  are  very  showy. 

Make  provision  for  some  roses  in  your  garden  plans  and 
order  from  your  nurseryman  now  for  delivery  when  time  to 
plant. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  MARCH  61 

MARCH 

Tf  Try ITH  the  coming  of  March  the  garden  work  becomes 
^^jLJ  more  insistent  and  no  time  should  be  lost.  Of  course, 
^^  there  are  many  things  that  we  have  suggested  for 
February  which  can  still  be  done,  especially  in  the  northern  sec- 
tions of  the  South. 

In  the  lower  South  the  planting  of  the  more  tender  veg- 
etables will  begin,  and  even  in  eastern  North  Carolina  one  can 
risk  some  snap  beans  in  the  ground  the  latter  part  of  the  month. 
The  most  hardy  of  these  is  the  Black  Valentine,  and  a  good 
plan  is  to  run  small  ridges  east  and  west  and  plant  the  rows 
along  the  south  side  of  the  ridge  to  be  sheltered  from  the  cold 
winds  when  small.  If  frost  threatens  after  they  are  up  it  is 
easy  to  take  a  little  garden  hand  plow  and  throw  a  furrow  over 
them  to  be  removed  after  the  cold  is  past. 

If  you  failed  to  sow  beets  and  plant  potatoes  in  February, 
lose  no  time  in  getting  them  in  now. 

Get  the  tomato  plants  that  were  started  in  early  February 
into  a  frame  where  they  can  be  protected  from  frost  at  night 
and  fully  exposed  in  sunny  days.  Set  them  4  inches  apart  each 
way,  and  do  not  keep  the  glass  or  cloth  over  them  any  more 
than  necessary  to  protect  them  from  frost.  We  want  to  get 
them  into  such  a  hardy  condition  that  the  stems  of  the  plants 
will  take  on  a  purplish  color  instead  of  green,  showing  that 
they  have  been  hardened  to  the  air.  Of  course,  in  the  lower 
South  where  frost  is  over  they  can  be  set  in  the  open  ground, 
but  in  most  of  the  South  this  is  not  safe  till  early  April,  and 
even  then  in  the  upper  South  we  must  look  out  for  reverses. 

When  cold  threatens,  the  plants  can  be  protected  in  more 
than  one  way.  I  have  some  cardboard  protectors  made  in  a 
conical  form  which  can  easily  be  set  over  the  plants ;  and  I  have 
protected  them  by  bending  the  plants  over  carefully  and  cover- 
ing them  with  soil.  One  March,  when  we  had  very  warm 
weather  early  in  the  month  and  a  return  of  cold  down  to  21 
degrees  on  the  26th  of  the  month,  I  had  my  early  tomato  plants 
out,  but  saved  them  in  this  way.  The  earlier  we  get  tomato 
plants  out,  and  get  them  to  live,  the  earlier  the  fruiting  will  be. 

Prepare  the  land  for  cucumbers,  squash  and  cantaloupes 


•2  massey's  garden  book 

by  running  furrows  5  feet  apart,  and  putting  well-rotted  ma- 
nure into  them  and  then  a  good  application  of  acid  phosphate. 
Bed  on  this  ready  for  planting  in  early  April.  We  plant  all 
these  in  rows  and  thin  out  to  hills  after  a  stand  is  secured. 

Bed  sweet  potatoes  the  last  of  the  month. 

Sow  seed  of  the  Wonderful  and  Hanson  lettuce  on  a  warm 
border  the  first  of  the  month  to  make  plants  to  set  in  beds  later. 
These  varieties  stand  the  warm  weather  of  late  spring  far  bet- 
ter than  the  Big  Boston  that  is  grown  in  the  frames  in  winter. 
Set  in  very  heavily  enriched  soil  and  treat  with  some  nitrate  of 
soda  to  push  them  along  and  they  will  make  very  large  heads, 
especially  where  it  is  practicable  to  water  the  beds.  I  set  this 
crop  in  beds  6  feet  wide,  the  plants  10  inches  apart  each  way, 
and  have  known  the  Wonderful  or  Shellem  lettuce  to  make 
heads  that  weighed  four  pounds. 

Late  in  the  month  sow  some  curled  endive  to  take  the  place 
of  lettuce  after  the  weather  gets  too  hot  for  the  lettuce.  The 
endive  plants  can  be  set  just  like  lettuce  and  when  the  heads  are 
of  good  size  tie  the  leaves  together  at  the  top  to  blanch  the 
heads  or  wrap  stiff  paper  around  them  to  be  held  in  place  with 
a  rubber  band,  leaving  the  top  open. 

The  onion  plants  in  the  frame  from  January  sowing  can 
now  be  transplanted.  Nip  the  roots  and  tops  slightly  and  do 
not  plant  more  than  an  inch  deep,  as  the  bulbs  should  form 
mainly  on  the  surface.  Sets  of  the  Pearl  and  Silver  Skin  onion 
may  be  planted  in  the  early  part  of  the  month,  and  even  good 
onions  can  be  grown  direct  from  seed  if  sown  early  in  the 
month  in  very  heavily  enriched  soil  and  properly  thinned  later. 

Make  trenches,  manuring  them  as  previously  described, 
for  sowing  seed  of  asparagus,  using  the  Palmetto  variety.  Then 
follow  the  directions  given  in  this  little  book  and  you  can  grow 
the  finest  of  asparagus  without  any  transplanting. 

March  is  the  best  time  to  plant  fig  trees  or  to  set  cuttings 
for  growing  more.  Cuttings  of  last  year's  shoots  made  about 
ten  inches  long  and  set  nearly  full  length  in  the  soil  will  root 
readily. 

Pepper  and  egg  plant  seed  may  be  sowed  in  boxes  this 
month  and  transplanted  to  small  pots  to  keep  growing.    They 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  MARCH  63 

may  be  shifted  to  still  larger  pots,  if  necessary,  and  finally 
planted  out  about  the  last  of  May  when  the  soil  is  warm. 

If  you  plant  any  corn  this  month,  try  the  Norfolk  Market 
variety.  This  is  not  a  sugar  corn,  but  a  very  early  dent.  Sugar 
corn  is  apt  to  rot  in  the  cold  ground  in  March,  and  hence  for 
March  planting  the  Norfolk  corn  is  best. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

Cutting  of  the  hardy  annual  blooming  roses  of  the  re- 
montant class  and  the  Crimson  Rambler  class  will  now  root 
readily  from  the  ripe  wood  grown  last  year.  The  tea  roses  are 
better  rooted  in  the  fall.  (For  these  see  August  and  Sep- 
tember.) 

The  beds  of  hyacinths  and  tulips  which  should  have  had  a 
mulch  of  rough  manure  in  the  fall  should  now  have  the  mulch 
raked  off,  as  they  are  about  to  bloom,  and  it  is  necessary  to 
keep  the  soil  clean. 

The  narcissus  or  daffodils  will  be  in  their  prime  early  in 
March,  and  all  these  can  be  lifted  when  their  tops  ripen  and  the 
beds  filled  with  summer  plants. 

The  little  red  ever-blooming  Vernon  begonias  are  easily 
raised  from  seed  and  make  beautiful  beds  in  summer,  standing 
heat  and  drought  and  always  in  bloom.  The  foliage  turns  a 
bronzy  red  in  the  sun  and  there  are  white  varieties  that  can  be 
grown  as  a  border  to  the  red  ones.  The  seed  are  as  fine  as  dust 
and  should  be  sown  on  the  surface  of  some  moist  soil  in  a  box 
and  a  pane  of  glass  placed  over  the  box,  and  they  will  soon 
start  and  make  nice  plants  for  bedding  out  after  the  tulips  and 
hyacinths  are  over. 

Then  if  you  do  not  want  to  lift  the  bulbs,  you  can  plant 
these  between  them  and  cut  off  the  ripe  tops  of  the  bulbs.  Then 
there  is  a  perfectly  hardy  tuberous  begonia  called  Evansiana 
which  can  be  planted  between  the  bulbs  in  the  fall,  and  when 
the  tulips  and  hyacinths  fade  these  will  come  up,  make  fine  fo- 
liage and  a  mass  of  pink  flowers.  Being  perfectly  hardy,  they 
can  remain  where  planted  all  winter. 

Some  plant  their  dahlias  early,  but  I  think  this  is  a  mistake, 
as  they  get  to  blooming  in  the  hot  weather  and  the  flowers  are 


64  MASSEY*S  GARDEN  BOOK 

not  so  good  as  in  the  fall.  Here  I  take  up  the  dahlia  roots  after 
frost,  bury  them  in  the  garden  and  cover  thickly  with  earth. 
They  will  stand  the  winter  outside  in  an  ordinary  winter,  but 
in  a  very  cold  one  may  get  hurt.  I  defer  planting  these  till 
May  and  take  up  the  roots  and  cut  off  the  sprouts  that  are 
starting  to  keep  them  from  growing  too  early,  for  I  want  the 
fine  fall  flowers. 

The  hardy  perennial  phlox  makes  the  finest  of  all  summer 
bloom.  Its  colors  range  from  pure  white  to  purple  and  crim- 
son and  they  make  a  fine  show  in  the  garden  all  summer 
through. 

Sow  seed  of  scarlet  sage  in  a  well  prepared  bed  the  middle 
of  the  month,  and  transplant  to  beds  for  blooming.  The  va- 
riety called  Zurich  is  about  the  best.  Cuttings  made  in  the  fall 
can  be  carried  over  in  pots  in  winter  and  they  root  very  easily 
in  moist  boxes  of  sand.  I  carry  some  over  in  the  greenhouse 
to  get  cuttings  from  in  early  spring,  as  these  bloom  earlier  than 
the  seedling  plants. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  APRIL  W 

APRIL 

SOW  SEED  of  onions  to  make  sets  for  fall  planting.  Sow 
very  thickly  in  rows  15  inches  apart  in  garden  soil  that 
has  been  manured  the  year  before,  but  do  not  fertilize  the 
onions,  as  we  want  them  to  grow  only  about  the  size  of  a  boy's 
playing  marble.  Hence,  sow  very  thickly  and  in  fertile  soil, 
but  do  not  push  them  with  extra  feeding. 

In  the  upper  South  market  gardeners  will  now  plant  their 
main  crop  of  snap  beans.  In  the  home  garden,  the  best  method 
is  to  plant  a  row,  and  as  soon  as  that  row  is  well  up  and  takes 
on  the  rough  leaves,  plant  another  row  and  keep  this  up  till 
August  or  September  so  as  to  have  a  constant  succession  in 
good  shape  for  the  table.  The  Black  Valentine,  for  earliest, 
should  now  be  followed  by  better  varieties  such  as  Red  Valen- 
tine and  Burpee's  Green  Stringless.  Tait's  Celestial  is  the  best 
of  the  wax  beans. 

Plant  bush  lima  beans  in  rows  just  as  we  do  the  snap  beans, 
but  rather  thinly.  Six  inches  apart  in  the  row  will  be  abun- 
dantly thick  to  plant  the  Fordhook  variety.  This  belongs  to 
the  thick  or  potato  lima  class,  and  is  far  better  for  the  South 
than  any  of  the  large  white  lima  beans,  as  these  are  always  un- 
productive south  of  the  Potomac.  The  small  lima  or  butter 
bean  is  more  productive  in  the  South. 

Set  strong  stakes  and  stretch  a  5-foot  width  of  chicken 
wire  netting  with  the  lower  edge  a  foot  from  the  ground  for  the 
climbing  beans.  Then  you  can  plant  them  2  feet  apart  in  the 
rows,  make  the  rows  4  feet  apart,  and  there  will  be  a  much 
neater  appearance  in  the  garden  than  with  poles.  If  the  gar- 
den is  enclosed  by  a  woven  wire  fence,  as  mine  is,  the  fence 
makes  a  fine  place  for  climbing  beans  and  tall  late  peas,  and 
saves  room  in  the  garden. 

Having  started  the  tomato  plants  for  the  early  crop  at  the 
proper  time  in  February,  and  having  transplanted  them  in 
frames  to  get  strong  and  hardy,  they  can  now  be  set  in  the  open 
ground.  It  is  far  better  to  set  stakes  to  each  plant  for  the 
early  crop  and  train  the  plants  to  a  single  stem.  The  fruit  will 
ripen  earlier  and  better  than  on  the  ground,  and  the  plants  can 
be  set  closer.    I  make  the  rows  3  feet  apart,  set  the  plants  2 


•6  massey's  garden  book 

feet  in  the  rows,  and  make  the  stakes  6  feet  tall.  Spraying  with 
bordeaux  mixture  should  be  done  before  the  plants  are  taken 
from  the  frames,  again  soon  after  they  are  set  out,  and  repeated 
every  ten  days  till  the  tomatoes  are  half  grown.  This  is  to  pre- 
vent the  leaf  blight,  and  unless  the  spraying  is  done  the  plants 
will  soon  be  losing  their  lower  leaves  and  the  fruit  will  be  in- 
ferior. The  mixture  can  now  be  had  ready-made  from  seeds- 
men with  directions  for  use. 

The  egg  plants  should  be  kept  under  glass  or  cloth  till  the 
weather  and  the  soil  are  well  warmed,  for  if  these  are  set  too 
early  they  will  get  stunted  and  make  poor  plants. 

Keep  the  onions  absolutely  clean.  This  is  a  crop  one  must 
get  right  down  to  with  hands  and  pull  out  every  spear  of  grass 
and  weeds,  for  onions  will  not  tolerate  weeds.  Pull  the  soil 
away  from  them  so  that  the  bulbs  will  form  on  the  surface 
with  only  the  roots  in  the  ground.  The  offsets  of  the  Yellow 
Potato  onion  can  be  pulled  for  use  as  green  onions,  as  they 
clean  up  perfectly  white.  But  enough  of  these  should  be  left 
to  mature,  as  these  are  the  sets  for  fall  planting,  since  this  onion 
never  makes  seed. 

If  the  white  onions  planted  last  fall  from  seed-grown  sets 
show  signs  of  running  to  seed,  nip  out  the  seed  shoot  as  soon 
as  seen  and  you  can  save  the  onion,  for  if  this  top  is  allowed 
to  grow,  the  onion  will  be  hollow  and  worthless. 

If  not  provided  with  frames  for  starting  plants  of  the 
Prizetaker,  Giant  Gibraltar  and  other  large  Spanish  onions,  you 
can  sow  seed  of  these  to  make  sets,  and  keep  the  ripe  sets  over 
in  a  cold  dark  place  for  spring  planting.  They  will  make  about 
as  large  onions  as  the  transplanted  plants,  but  it  takes  longer  to 
get  the  crop. 

The  beds  prepared  last  month  for  cucumbers  and  canta- 
loupes should  now  be  somewhat  flattened  and  the  seed  drilled 
in  thinly  along  the  beds.  Then  when  a  stand  is  secured,  thin 
them  to  20  inches  in  the  rows.  A  tablespoonful  of  nitrate  of 
soda  should  be  scattered  around  each  hill.  This  will  push  them 
along  rapidly  and  increase  the  earliness  of  the  crop.  Keep 
them  absolutely  clean  till  the  vines  cover  the  ground.  Plant 
watermelons  in  hills  8  x  10  feet,  putting  a  peck  of  well-rotted 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  APRIL  67 

manure  in  each  hill,  together  with  a  handful  of  good  fertilizer, 
before  hilling.    Plant  plenty  of  seed  to  insure  a  stand. 

All  these  plants  are  apt  to  be  attacked  by  the  little  striped 
or  speckled  diabrotica  beetles  just  as  they  come  through  the 
soil.  Watch  the  germination  and  keep  the  plants  covered  with 
some  dusty  material.  I  use  fine  raw  bone  meal  or  tobacco  dust. 
This  prevents  the  beetles  and  helps  the  plants  at  same  time.  But 
anything  that  will  keep  the  plants  dusty  will  bother  the  beetles. 
Spraying  with  lead  arsenate  1  pound  in  30  gallons  of  water 
with  a  little  corn  syrup  to  make  it  stick  will  kill  them. 

Keep  the  early  cabbages  well  cultivated  till  they  head.  Any 
plant  that  does  not  promise  to  head  with  the  earliest  can  be 
made  to  go  to  heading  by  pulling  it  slightly  till  you  hear  some 
roots  crack. 

Urge  the  cauliflowers  with  side  dressing  of  nitrate  of  soda, 
for  it  is  important  to  head  them  before  the  weather  gets  hot. 
When  the  heads  appear  turn  some  of  the  top  leaves  over  them 
to  keep  the  sun  off  and  you  will  get  whiter  heads. 

Plant  seed  of  okra  in  hills  2  feet  apart  and  rows  3  feet 
apart,  dropping  several  seed  in  a  hill ;  or  plant  in  rows  and  chop 
out  just  as  you  would  cotton.  Okra  grows  very  slowly  till  the 
weather  gets  hot,  and  it,  too,  is  helped  by  side-dressings  of 
nitrate  of  soda. 

The  early  outdoor  lettuce  will  also  be  pushed  on  with  ni- 
trate of  soda  applied  between  the  rows  when  the  plants  are  dry, 
but  not  touching  the  leaves.  I  have  found  that  this  can  be  best 
applied  in  the  garden  by  mixing  it  half  and  half  with  plaster. 
When  mixed  a  while  beforehand  the  nitrate  absorbs  moisture 
and  the  plaster  absorbs  it  and  the  whole  will  get  fine  and  more 
easily  applied  than  when  the  nitrate  is  in  lumps. 

Early  in  the  month  plant  seed  of  sugar  corn.  The  little 
extra  early  varieties  that  are  grown  in  the  North  seldom  do 
much  in  the  South,  and  it  is  better  to  start  at  once  with  the 
stronger  growing  varieties  like  Stowell  Evergreen  and  Country 
Gentleman.  The  Kendall  Giant  is  earlier  than  these  and  is  a 
good  variety. 

Keep  up  a  succession  of  the  sugar  corns  till  August.  The 
late  plantings  will  be  best  for  seed,  as  the  ears  will  then  be 


e  *  massey's  garden  book 

more  free  from  the  boll  worms.  A  few  rows  of  early  sugar 
corn  planted  in  the  cotton  fields  will  protect  the  cotton  very 
largely  from  the  boll  worms. 

Early  Milan  turnips  can  still  be  sowed  early  in  the  month, 
and  if  you  have  never  tried  spring-sowed  turnips  you  will  find 
these  a  treat,  and  they  sell,  too. 

Begin  to  spray  the  Irish  potatoes  as  soon  as  they  are  well 
up  with  bordeaux  mixture  in  which  iy2  pounds  of  lead  arse- 
nate is  added  to  50  gallons  of  the  bordeaux.  Spray  repeatedly 
and  thus  ward  off  the  blight  and  destroy  the  beetles  at  the  same 
time. 

In  thinning  out  the  early  beets  it  is  best  to  transplant  the 
thinnings.  They  will  come  on  for  use  a  little  later  than  those 
left  in  the  rows,  but  will  keep  up  the  supply  till  the  late  sowed 
beets  are  ready. 

p  Celery  seed  can  be  sowed  about  the  middle  of  the  month 
ana  later. 

Tomato  seed  are  sowed  outside  in  early  April,  and  again 
the  last  of  May,  using  the  later  varieties.  This  is  to  keep  up  a 
constant  succession  of  good  fruit  and  to  have  a  lot  of  well- 
grown  green  ones  when  frost  comes  in  the  fall  to  ripen  in  the 
house. 

The  second  sowing  of  peas  of  the  better  wrinkled  sorts 
should  now  be  made  to  follow  the  early  ones.  I  plant  some  of 
the  dwarf  sorts  like  Sutton's  Excelsior  and  Laxtonian,  and 
also  the  old  Champion  of  England. 

Sweet  potatoes  can  be  set  as  soon  as  the  danger  from  frost 
is  past. 

Sow  now  a  row  of  Lucullus  chard,  and  you  will  have  a 
nice  lot  of  greens  equal  to  spinach  all  summer,  for  the  leaves 
can  be  pulled  like  rhubarb  and  they  will  keep  on  making  leaves 
till  frost. 

Sow  curled  endive  to  be  transplanted  later  for  heading,  to 
take  the  place  of  lettuce  in  hot  weather.  As  the  heads  develop 
I  have  some  cardboard  plant  protectors  that  fold  in  a  conical 
shape  and  are  used  to  protect  plants  in  spring.  These  are  set 
over  the  endive  plants  to  blanch  them. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  APRIL  69 

Everbearing  strawberries  have  come  to  stay.  One  can 
plant  them  in  the  spring  and  have  fruit  from  July  till  Novem- 
ber. There  are  three  leading  varieties — Superb,  Americus,  and 
Progressive. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

As  the  tops  of  the  bulbs  of  narcissus,  hyacinths  and  tulips 
ripen  they  can  be  taken  up,  cured  and  stored  for  fall  planting, 
or  the  tops  can  be  cut  off  and  the  plants  of  China  asters  set  be- 
tween them. 

You  can  get  seed  of  the  coleus,  sow  in  boxes  in  a  sunny 
window  and  can  get  a  great  variety  of  the  colored  leaves  for 
transplanting  when  the  weather  is  finally  warm.  The  seed  are 
very  fine  and  need  very  little  cover,  and  the  box  should  have  a 
pane  of  glass  laid  over  it  to  retain  moisture.  Then  as  soon  as 
the  little  plants  are  making  rough  leaves,  lift  them  on  the 
blade  of  a  pocket  knife  and  set  them  in  another  box  to  give 
more  room  and  to  get  hardy  plants  for  setting  later  in  the  beds. 

Sow  more  seed  of  China  aster  for  late  plants.  Sow  the 
tall  branching  varieties  thinly  in  a  well-prepared  bed.  They 
transplant  easily  if  taken  up  carefully  and  dropped  into  a  basin 
of  water  and  set  dripping  wet. 

As  the  gladiolus  appear  above  ground,  keep  the  plants 
clean  and  pull  the  soil  up  to  them.  The  corms  should  have  been 
planted  fully  5  inches  deep,  for  the  new  bulb  forms  on  top  the 
old  one.  Plant  a  few  more  bulbs  to  keep  up  a  succession  of 
bloom,  and  plant  again  as  the  newly  planted  ones  appear  above 
ground. 

The  candidum  lilies,  the  old-fashioned  Madonna  lilies,  will 
now  be  throwing  up  their  flower  stalks.  Keep  them  absolutely 
clean  of  weeds.  The  bulbs  of  this  lily  are  largely  imported 
from  France,  but  they  can  be  grown  in  this  country  fully  as 
well.  They  die  down  after  blooming  and  start  to  grow  in  the 
fall.  The  bulbs  should  not  be  moved  more  frequently  than  once 
in  three  years.  They  can  then  be  taken  up  in  summer  wThen  the 
tops  ripen  and  divided  and  replanted  at  once. 

Set  the  beds  of  scarlet  sage  late  in  this  month.  I  set  them 
in  circular  beds  10  feet  wide  and  set  the  plants  about  10  inches 


70  MASSEY*S  GARDEN  BOOK 

apart  in  rows  to  make  a  mass  of  bloom.  As  fast  as  the  flower 
spikes  fade  they  are  cut  and  saved  for  seed.  Spread  them  out 
on  an  old  newspaper  to  dry  and  later  rub  the  seed  out.  A  bed 
of  scarlet  sage  makes  a  great  show,  but  should  be  kept  well 
supplied  with  water,  for  the  plants  make  immense  roots  and 
rapidly  dry  out  the  bed. 

Dahlias  can  be  planted  late  in  the  month.  When  the  old 
mass  of  roots  has  made  a  number  of  sprouts,  cut  them  up  with 
a  sprout  to  each  root,  for  they  do  far  better  with  a  single  stem 
than  a  mass  of  shoots.  Good  stakes  should  be  set  to  each  plant 
to  tie  the  stems  to  and  prevent  falling.  Later  on  when  the 
stalks  have  grown  tall  and  threaten  to  make  hot  weather  flow- 
ers I  cut  them  back  and  cause  them  to  branch  bushy  and  make 
flowers  later,  when  they  are  much  finer.  I  prefer  to  have  the 
flowers  from  August  to  frost  rather  than  in  the  heat  of  summer, 
when  other  flowers  are  plentiful. 

After  the  shrubbery,  such  as  forsythias,  spireas  and  wiege- 
lias  have  made  their  bloom,  cut  back  all  the  shoots  that  have 
bloomed  and  the  plants  will  make  a  fine  growth  for  another 
season. 

Roses,  of  course,  we  all  want.  Do  not  buy  the  little  things 
sent  by  mail,  but  get  two-year  strong  plants  that  have  been 
kept  dormant.  Florists  sell  these,  and  while  they  cost  more 
than  the  little  slips  sent  by  mail,  they  are  worth  a  great  deal 
more.  Here,  too,  we  have  the  advantage  that  in  the  South 
we  can  grow  the  tea  roses  that  do  not  stand  out  in  the  North, 
and  can  also  grow  the  hardy  ones  as  well.  Then,  as  climbing 
roses,  we  can  grow  the  yellow  and  white  Banksias,  the  first 
roses  to  bloom  in  spring,  and  to  my  mind  there  are  no  porch 
climbers  finer  than  the  Banksia  roses.  Of  course,  we  can  also 
have  the  ramblers  so  popular  north,  and  in  a  good  clay  soil  we 
can  have  a  mass  of  roses  all  summer  that  are  the  envy  of  all 
those  living  in  colder  climates.  The  splendid  Marechal  Niel, 
the  prince  of  yellow  roses,  thrives  in  the  South  as  nowhere 
else,  and  is  as  evergreen  as  the  Banksias. 

April  is  the  great  planting  month  for  all  shrubbery  and 
roses,  and  a  garden  without  shrubbery  and  roses  is  rather  bare. 


GARDEN  WORK   FOR  MAY  71 

MAY 

*r"r  T'ttITH  the  disappearance  of  all  frost,  garden  operations 
^A/y     will  be  rushed  and  all  the  more  tender  crops  got- 
VV       ten  in. 

Continue  planting  succession  crops  such  as  beans,  putting 
in  a  few  as  soon  as  previous  plantings  are  well  up. 

Set  plants  of  cabbage  for  autumn  heading.  For  this  plant- 
ing use  Succession  and  Fottler's  Brunswick. 

Plant  succession  crops  of  sugar  corn  twice  during  the 
month,  never  planting  less  than  three  rows  so  that  there  will  be 
an  abundance  of  pollen,  for  a  single  row  of  corn  will  seldom 
do  well. 

When  the  celery  plants  sown  last  month  get  2  or  3  inches 
high  take  them  up  and  nip  the  tap  root  and  transplant  to  an- 
other bed,  setting  them  in  rows  10  inches  apart  and  2  inches  in 
the  rows,  to  make  strong  plants  for  the  final  transplanting. 
Keep  them  absolutely  clean,  and  if  they  grow  too  fast,  clip  the 
tops  somewhat,  for  we  want  sturdy  plants  for  setting  in  August. 

Plant  squashes,  cucumbers,  cantaloupes  and  watermelons 
if  not  planted  in  April. 

Set  out  tgg  plants  the  latter  part  of  the  month  in  rows  3 
feet  apart  and  3  feet  in  the  rows.  Give  them  side-dressings  of 
nitrate  of  soda  after  they  start  to  grow,  and  spray  with  lead 
arsenate  to  destroy  the  potato  beetles  that  attack  these  as  much 
as  they  do  potatoes. 

Push  along  the  young  okra  plants  with  side  dressings  of 
nitrate  of  soda.  Give  the  cucumbers  and  melons,  too,  some  of 
the  nitrate. 

Lettuce,  to  head  before  the  weather  gets  too  hot,  must  be 
pushed  along  and  never  allowed  to  suffer  from  lack  of  water. 
If  the  plot  of  lettuce  has  been  heavily  manured  and  fertilized 
it  will  be  the  best  place  to  set  the  celery  plants  after  the  lettuce 
is  done,  though  celery  can  follow  even  a  later  crop. 

Watch  every  chance  to  put  in  something  else  as  the  earliest 
crops  mature,  for  in  the  South  we  should  use  every  effort  to 
keep  the  garden  at  work  not  only  all  summer  but  all  the  year 
round. 


78  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Set  sweet  potato  plants  early  in  this  month.  Do  not  give 
them  too  strongly  nitrogenous  fertilizer,  but  plenty  of  acid  phos- 
phate and  potash  in  the  furrows  under  the  beds.  Do  not  hill 
up  too  high,  for  we  get  better  and  more  chunky  potatoes  in  shal- 
low ridges,  no  higher  than  a  good  broad  sweep  will  make. 

Sow  seed  of  tomatoes  for  a  crop  to  follow  the  early  ones 
which  are  apt  to  fail  by  July  or  be  making  inferior  fruits.  For 
this  sowing  I  prefer  to  use  seed  of  Red  Rock,  Mississippi  Girl, 
or  Globe,  the  first  two  being  red  and  the  last  one  pink. 

Then,  the  last  of  the  month,  sow  a  few  more  seed  f<?r  the 
latest  plants  to  ripen  in  September  and  October  to  give  plenty 
of  well-grown  green  fruits  which,  when  frost  comes,  can  be 
wrapped  in  paper,  stored  in  a  cool  place  and  ripened  a  few  at  a 
time  till  Christmas.  Plant  late  tomatoes  4  feet  each  way  and 
let  them  take  their  natural  habit,  but  spray  them  with  bordeaux 
mixture  to  prevent  leaf  blight. 

The  last  of  the  month  sow  seed  of  parsnips  and  salsify 
in  rows  16  inches  apart.  Cover  the  parsnip  seed  lightly,  and 
when  a  stand  is  secured  thin  them  to  4  inches.  The  salsify  will 
do  very  well  thinned  to  3  inches  or  less. 

Cuttings  of  horse-radish  roots  can  be  planted  between  the 
early  cabbage.  Punch  holes  with  a  dibble  or  a  crowbar  and 
drop  the  cuttings  in  and  cover.  They  will  start  off  vigorously 
after  the  cabbages  are  cut  and  will  be  ready  to  dig  in  the  fall. 

Side  dressings  of  nitrate  of  soda  will  help  push  many 
things  along,  especially  the  leaf  crops  like  lettuce,  cabbages  and 
kale. 

When  spinach  begins  to  run  to  bloom,  turn  it  all  under  for 
a  later  crop  of  some  kind,  and  all  the  summer  through  keep  the 
garden  at  work  growing  crop  after  crop,  and  have  plenty  for 
the  coming  winter. 

Leeks  in  the  seed  bed  must  be  kept  clean  and  cultivated 
till  time  to  set  in  their  permanent  place.  I  usually  transplant 
them  in  July,  but  if  space  becomes  vacant  and  the  plants  are 
strong  they  can  be  transplanted  in  late  May  or  June. 

Peppers  can  be  set  out  early  in  the  month.  The  Pimiento 
pepper  will  bear  clear  through  the  season  till  frost  and  produces 
more  than  any  pepper  I  have  ever  grown. 


GARDEN  WORK   FOR  MAY  73 

Pumpkins  can  be  planted  in  the  cornfield;  they  take  too 
much  room  in  the  garden. 

In  cutting  asparagus,  cut  close  down  on  the  crown  and 
leave  no  stump,  but  be  careful  not  to  injure  the  new  shoots  just 
starting.  It  is  well  to  stop  cutting  early  in  June,  and  then  fer- 
tilize heavily  and  cultivate  clean  the  remainder  of  the  season  to 
get  a  strong  growth  of  crowns  to  make  big  shoots  next  spring. 

Early  beets,  like  the  Egyptian,  get  poor  in  quality  in  sum- 
mer and  it  is  better  to  make  a  succession  by  sowing  seed  of  the 
Model  or  the  Eclipse  in  May.  A  third  sowing  of  the  blood 
turnips  is  also  made  in  June  or  July  for  winter  use. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

Seed  of  various  annuals  which  transplant  easily,  such  as 
China  asters,  phlox  drummondii,  if  sown  in  March  or  early 
April,  will  now  be  ready  to  set  in  the  beds.  Seed  of  other  plants 
can  be  sown  where  they  are  to  remain  and  be  thinned  out.  Of 
this  class  the  double  zinnias  are  an  example. 

The  geraniums  which,  in  the  North,  do  so  finely  bedded 
out,  are  not  suited  to  this  use  in  the  South  except  in  the  cool 
mountain  valleys,  but  they  can  be  used  to  good  effect  in  window 
and  porch  boxes.  The  zinnias  will  make  showy  beds  and  will 
take  the  place  of  the  geraniums. 

The  everblooming  begonias  are  also  excellent  for  bedding. 
They  bloom  continuously  and  stand  the  sun,  and  some  can  be 
taken  up  and  placed  in  pots  to  bloom  in  winter.  This  class  of 
begonias  seed  very  freely,  and  I  grow  them  from  seed  every 
year,  as  they  are  more  rapidly  produced  in  this  way  than  from 
cuttings.  The  seed  are  as  fine  as  dust  and  to  start  them  I  sow 
the  seed  on  the  surface  of  the  soil  in  a  box  early  in  March 
after  watering  the  soil,  and  then  place  a  pane  of  glass  over  the 
little  box  to  prevent  the  soil  from  drying  out.  They  will  then 
germinate  readily  and  later  can  be  transplanted  and  given  room 
in  another  box  till  large  enough  to  set  out  in  May.  Then  they 
are  cut  out  of  the  boxes  with  a  mass  of  soil  and  set  closely  in 
beds.    The  flowers  vary  in  color  from  white  to  crimson. 

Bulbs  of  the  gladiolus  can  be  planted  from  February  to 
June  so  as  to  give  a  succession  of  bloom.    The  Oriental  poppies 


74  MASSEY  S  GARDEN  BOOK 

are  hardy  perennials,  but  are  very  hard  to  get  to  live  when 
transplanted.  Seed  sown  now  will  make  good  plants,  and  should 
be  sown  where  they  are  to  remain  and  the  plants  thinned  to  a 
foot  apart.  They  will  begin  to  bloom  the  next  year  and  con- 
tinue for  many  years  to  throw  up  their  gorgeous  blossoms. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  JUNE  *• 

JUNE 

ABOUT  the  last  of  the  month  is  a  good  time  to  sow  seed 
of  late  cabbage  and  collards  for  winter  keeping  and  use. 
Some  have  a  notion  that  good  winter  heading  cabbages 
cannot  be  grown  in  the  South,  and  hence  depend  on  collards 
alone.  Collards  are  good,  but,  personally,  I  prefer  cabbage. 
The  important  thing  is  to  get  good  strong  plants  to  set  in  late 
July  or  early  August.  Make  the  seedbed  convenient  to  water 
and  then  see  that  the  plants  never  suffer  for  lack  of  it.  Use 
the  soapsuds  from  the  weekly  wash  to  water  the  plants  and  to 
destroy  the  green  caterpillars  that  will  attack  them.  For  set- 
ting and  subsequent  treatment  follow  our  suggestions  for  later 
months. 

For  the  late  crop  I  prefer  a  good  strain  of  the  old  Late 
Flat  Dutch.  The  Danish  Ballhead  is  also  good,  but  succeeds 
best  on  a  lighter  soil.  For  quality  the  Drumhead  Savoy  is  ex- 
cellent. 

If  you  are  marketing  the  early  Irish  potato  crop,  of  course 
you  can  dig  as  soon  as  they  are  of  sufficient  size,  but  if  you 
propose  to  grow  later  on  a  second  crop  from  seed  of  the  early 
ones,  let  the  potatoes  you  intend  for  this  purpose  fully  mature. 
Then,  take  them  up  and  cut  them  in  halves,  spread  out  on  the 
ground,  cover  with  pinestraw  and  keep  that  somewhat  moist. 
Then  watch  them,  and  plant  as  they  sprout. 

Where  the  potatoes  are  grown  largely  for  market,  prepare 
the  ground  at  once  after  the  potatoes  are  off,  sow  to  cowpeas 
for  the  benefit  of  the  soil,  or  for  hay  to  feed,  and  follow  with 
crimson  clover  as  a  winter  cover  crop  to  turn  under  for  the 
sweet  potato  crop  the  next  season. 

Set  plants  of  endive  for  heading  to  take  the  place  of  lettuce 
in  summer,  and  when  well  grown  tie  the  leaves  together  to 
blanch  them.  Do  this  when  the  leaves  are  dry,  for  if  tied  when 
wet  they  may  decay. 

Clip  the  tops  of  the  celery  plants  if  they  grow  too  strongly. 
You  want  short  and  stout  plants  for  setting  later. 

Clean  out  and  fertilize  the  strawberries  and  do  not  allow 
the  runners  to  root  between  the  rows,  but  train  them  in  along 
the  row  to  mate  closely.    A  strong  growth  now  with  the  crab 


76  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

grass  and  weeds  pulled  out  will  make  strong  crowns  for  fruit- 
ing next  spring.    Keep  up  this  clean  cultivation  all  summer. 

Cutting  of  asparagus  should  stop  in  the  South  by  the  10th 
of  June.  Then  the  plot  should  be  well  fertilized  and  cleanly 
cultivated  in  order  to  get  the  strongest  possible  growth  to  give 
large  shoots  the  next  season.  When  frost  comes,  clean  off  the 
tops  and  cover  the  whole  bed  thickly  with  manure  for  the 
winter. 

Plant  a  row  of  snap  beans  at  a  time,  and  as  fast  as  one 
row  is  up,  plant  another,  and  keep  this  up  till  August  in  order 
to  have  a  regular  succession  for  the  table.  The  bush  lima  beans 
and  the  climbing  small  lima  or  butter  bean  can  still  be  planted. 
A  wire  fence  is  a  good  place  for  the  butter  beans.  The  Ford- 
hook  bush  lima  is  the  best  of  the  bush  sorts. 

The  last  of  the  month  sow  Blood  Turnip  beets  and  carrots 
for  winter  use.  I  sow  the  Danvers  Half-Long  carrot.  These 
and  the  late  beets  I  leave  in  the  rows  all  winter,  throwing  a 
slight  furrow  to  each  side,  and  they  keep  better  than  if  lifted. 

Salsify  and  parsnip  should  now  be  sown.  In  the  North 
these  are  sown  early  in  spring,  but  in  the  South  later  sowing 
is  best,  as  they  are  apt  to  get  woody  or  run  to  seed  here  if  sown 
early.  To  get  a  good  germination  of  parsnips  I  find  it  an  ad- 
vantage to  plant  the  seed  in  little  bunches  about  4  inches  apart, 
as  a  pinch  of  seed  will  force  its  way  through  more  easily  than 
a  single  seed,  and  the  bunches  are  easily  thinned.  The  salsify 
is  sown  in  a  continuous  row  and  thinned  while  small  to  3  inches 
apart. 

Cucumbers  for  pickling  should  now  be  planted.  Plant  in 
hills  3x5  feet.  Use  plenty  of  seed  to  make  sure  of  a  stand  in 
spite  of  the  bugs.  Dust  them  over  just  as  they  come  through 
the  ground  with  plaster  or  bone  dust,  or,  in  fact,  any  dusty 
material  to  keep  the  little  striped  beetles  in  check.  Tobacco 
dust  is  good,  and  will  help  the  plants,  too.  I  plant  the  Davis 
Perfect. 

Succession  plantings  of  corn  should  be  kept  up  till  late 
July,  planting  a  few  rows  of  the  Country  Gentleman  or  the 
Stowell  Evergreen  as  soon  as  the  previous  planting  is  well  up. 
The  Mammoth  sugar  corn  is  stronger  in  growth  and  makes 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  JUNE  7? 

larger  ears,  but  is  not  of  as  good  quality  as  the  first  named 
sorts. 

The  first  of  June  is  the  best  time  to  set  the  egg  plants  out- 
side, for  they  need  the  soil  to  be  permanently  warm.  I  keep 
mine  in  4-inch  pots,  setting  the  pots  in  a  cold  frame  about  the 
20th  of  May  and  attending  closely  to  them  by  covering  with 
the  sashes  on  chilly  nights,  for  they  are  more  tender  than  to- 
mato plants.  I  grow  the  Black  Beauty  and  Maule's  Excelsior. 
The  last  is  the  larger  fruited,  but  the  first  is  more  prolific. 

If  you  sowed  leek  seed  early  in  spring  the  plants  will  be 
ready  to  transplant  the  last  of  June.  I  set  them  in  open  fur- 
rows 3  inches  apart,  and  as  they  grow  pull  the  soil  to  them  in 
order  to  get  a  good  long  white  shank.  These  are  hardy  and  are 
left  in  the  ground  all  winter,  and  come  in  very  nicely  till  the 
green  onions  are  ready. 

If  you  like  okra  and  failed  to  plant  earlier,  plant  now  at 
any  time  till  middle  of  month.  I  plant  the  Perkins  Long  Pod 
and  the  Kleckley,  the  first  a  green  podded  sort  and  the  latter  a 
white  one. 

Sweet  pepper  plants  can  still  be  set,  but  sowing  the  seed 
now  would  make  them  very  late.  The  plants  can  usually  be 
bought  from  those  wrho  grow  vegetable  plants  for  sale. 

Green  Curled  Scotch  kale  planted  in  hills  like  cabbage  and 
thinned  to  one  plant  in  a  hill  will  make  immense  heads,  and 
when  touched  by  frost  are  very  fine — better  in  my  opinion  than 
collards.  The  plants  will  keep  growing  most  of  the  winter  as 
fast  as  the  leaves  are  pulled. 

If  you  want  pumpkins  stick  some  seed  in  the  cornfield  and 
get  all  you  need. 

Late  Irish  potatoes  can  be  planted  the  last  of  the  month  and 
up  to  the  middle  of  July.  Plant  in  deep  furrows,  cover  lightly 
till  they  start,  work  the  soil  to  them  till  level,  cultivate  shallow 
and  level  and  do  not  hill  as  we  do  early  potatoes,  but  maintain 
a  dust  mulch  to  retain  the  moisture. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

Very  tender  bedding  plants  like  coleus  will  do  better  by  set- 
ting in  early  June  than  earlier. 


78  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Keep  the  flower  beds  absolutely  clean  of  grass  and  weeds. 
Neatness  is  essential  in  the  lawn  and  flower  plantations. 

Keep  the  lawn  mower  going  in  all  favorable  weather,  but 
do  not  mow  the  grass  short  in  a  drought. 

Candidum  lilies  will  be  blooming  by  the  middle  of  the 
month.  As  soon  as  the  flowers  fade,  cut  out  the  blooming  tips 
of  the  stalks  to  prevent  seed  formation  which  would  weaken 
the  bulbs. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  JULY  79 

JULY 

CONTINUE  planting  successive  crops  of  snap  beans  and 
sugar  corn.  Sugar  corn  planted  now  will  keep  up  the 
succession  of  roasting  ears  till  frost  and  will  also  make 
the  best  ears  for  saving  seed.  Kandall  Giant  and  Country  Gen- 
tleman are  good  varieties.     The  first  named  is  the  earlier. 

Sow  rutabaga  and  large  White  French  turnip  seed  in 
rows  and  thin  them  to  4  or  5  inches  in  the  rows.  A  good  plan 
is  to  run  out  furrows  and  put  a  heavy  application  of  fertilizer 
in  them  and  bed  on  this.  Then  flatten  the  bed  slightly  and  drill 
the  seed  in  with  a  garden  seed  drill.  These  turnips  need  a 
longer  season  than  the  ordinary  white  and  purple-top  turnips 
and  should  be  sown  earlier. 

In  the  mountain  sections  celery  plants  should  be  set  the 
latter  half  of  the  month,  but  in  the  warmer  parts  of  the  South, 
August  is  a  better  time. 

In  all  warmer  sections  and  the  lower  South  this  is  a  good 
time  to  sow  the  seed  of  parsnips  and  salsify,  which  should  be 
sown  in  June  in  the  more  elevated  and  northern  sections  of  the 
South.  The  plants  make  their  best  growth  in  the  fall  months 
and  up  to  Christmas  and  are  far  better  when  not  sown  too  early. 
Sown  as  is  common  in  the  North,  they  will  get  overgrown,  may 
run  to  seed  and  the  roots  will  be  inferior. 

Keep  the  fall  cabbages  well  cultivated.  Running  a  bull- 
tongue  plow  through  the  rows  to  snap  some  of  the  roots  will 
hasten  the  heading.  After  the  middle  of  the  month,  set  out 
plants  for  winter  cabbages  to  head  in  late  November  or  early 
December.  A  good  strain  of  the  Late  Flat  Dutch  is  as^  good 
as  any,  and  the  seed  should  be  sown  and  treated  according  to 
directions  already  given.    This  will  also  apply  to  collards. 

Good  tomato  plants  set  the  first  of  the  month  will  give  the 
best  late  fruits  in  September  and  October  till  frost.  It  is  al- 
ways best  to  make  about  three  plantings  of  tomatoes  to  have 
the  fruits  in  prime  condition  through  the  whole  season,  set- 
ting the  early  forwarded  plants  in  April  and  another  set  in 
early  June  and  the  third  the  first  of  July — seed  having  been 
sown  first  in  February,  then  in  April  and  again  in  late  May. 

Egg  plants  should  now  be  strong  and  setting  fruit.    They 


80  massey's  garden  book 

like  a  very  rich  soil  and  plenty  of  water,  and  if  allowed  to 
suffer  from  drought  they  will  get  stunted  and  make  a  poor 
crop. 

As  the  earliest  tomatoes  have  completed  their  best  fruiting, 
it  does  not  pay  to  keep  them  longer  after  the  second  planting 
comes  into  fruit,  so  I  always  clean  them  out  when  I  begin  to 
get  the  later  ones  and  get  the  ground  ready  for  something  else. 

Above  all,  let  no  part  of  the  garden  get  smothered  in  crab 
grass.  This  not  only  robs  the  soil  but  is  in  the  way  in  keeping 
up  a  succession  of  crops  and  makes  a  harbor  for  breeding  cut 
worms  to  bother  you  next  spring.  Therefore,  allow  no  grass  in 
the  garden  at  any  part  of  the  season. 

Brussels  sprouts  set  now  just  as  you  would  set  cabbage 
plants  will  make  a  swarm  of  little  heads  all  over  the  stalks  just 
as  frost  comes,  and  they  will  be  all  the  better  for  some  frosting. 
They  make  fine  eating. 

Kohl  rabi  is  another  plant  of  the  cabbage  family  which 
can  be  sown  now.  It  makes  tops  like  a  rutabaga,  but  the  stem 
swells  out  above  ground  as  large  as  a  good-sized  turnip,  and 
this  stem  is  the  edible  part.  Peeled  and  boiled  like  cabbage,  it 
is  almost  the  next  thing  to  cauliflower  in  taste. 

The  early  cymlings  or  squash  are  apt  to  fail  about  this  time 
and  a  late  planting  will  bring  good  ones  in  before  frost.  Squash 
are  easily  canned,  and  in  winter  the  canned  ones  cannot  be  dis- 
tinguished from  fresh  ones. 

Tomatoes  for  canning  should  not  mature  too  early.  Au- 
gust and  September  tomatoes  are  far  better  for  canning  than 
the  earlier  ones. 

Snap  beans  also  can  nicely,  being  just  as  good  in  winter 
as  in  summer,  and  with  a  little  care  one  can  have  them  on  the 
table  all  the  year  round.  Canned  vegetables  will  make  the  win- 
ter diet  far  more  attractive  and  wholesome,  and  now  is  the  time 
to  lay  up  your  supply. 

Instead  of  letting  summer  apples  and  pears  go  to  waste, 
can  these,  too,  as  well  as  the  peaches.  In  fact,  put  up  a  full 
supply  of  canned  vegetables  and  fruits. 

Late  in  the  month,  sow  garden  peas  for  a  fall  crop.  For 
this  sowing  Sutton's  Excelsior  and  Thomas  Laxton  are  the 
best.    Sow  in  deep  furrows  and  cover  lightly;  then  work  the 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  JULY  81 

soil  to  them  as  they  grow  so  that  you  can  get  the  roots  deep  in 
the  soil,  enabling  them  better  to  stand  the  heat  and  droughts  of 
summer.  They  will  usually  give  a  good  crop  in  the  early  fall. 
These,  too,  can  be  profitably  canned. 

A  late  planting  of  chard  will  give  leaves  for  boiling  till  the 
early  fall  spinach  comes  in. 

Get  all  garden  refuse  into  a  compost  heap  to  rot  down  and 
return  to  the  garden  next  spring.  All  the  cabbage  stumps,  old 
tomato  vines  and,  in  fact,  weeds  and  refuse  of  all  sorts,  will 
make  humus  for  the  garden,  and  even  the  crab  grass  which  gets 
a  start  on  you  will  be  all  right  in  the  compost  pile. 

Transplant  leeks  to  open  furrows  3  inches  apart  in  rows 
15  inches  apart.  As  they  get  started  in  growth,  pull  the  soil  to 
them,  for  we  want  to  get  them  deep  in  the  ground  to  make  long 
white  shanks  for  winter  use. 

Plant  the  late  crop  of  Irish  potatoes  the  middle  of  the 
month  in  the  upper  South  and  up  to  August  in  more  southern 
sections.  The  methods  of  planting  and  cultivating  have  already 
been  discussed  under  the  head  of  potato  growing. 

Sow  seed  of  the  Late  Flat  Dutch  cabbage  convenient  to 
water  in  a  bed  made  very  rich,  and  grow  strong  plants  for  set- 
ting in  mid- August.  And  remember  that  big  cabbage  are  the 
result  of  heavy  feeding  and  plenty  of  moisture. 

Late  beets  and  carrots  are  sowed  in  July.  A  good  strain 
of  the  Blood  Turnip  beet  is  good.  For  carrots  I  use  the  Half- 
Long  Danvers. 

While  for  general  use  a  good  strain  of  the  Late  Flat  Dutch 
cabbage  will  fill  the  bill,  the  Drumhead  Savoy  should  not  be 
neglected,  because  it  is  of  especially  fine  quality. 

Cucumbers  for  pickles  should  be  planted  early  in  July. 
Plant  just  as  for  the  early  crop,  and  spray  with  bordeaux  mix- 
ture in  which  lead  arsenate  is  mixed,  ll/2  pounds  to  50  gallons 
of  bordeaux,  thus  making  a  fungicide  and  an  insecticide  at  the 
same  time.  This  will  keep  the  foliage  good  and  check  the  pickle 
worm. 

Give  the  egg  plants  a  side  dressing  of  nitrate  of  soda,  and 
if  possible  irrigate  them  in  dry  weather,  for  they  suffer  very 
quickly  from  drought. 


82  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Pull  the  ripe  onions  and  let  them  lie  in  the  sun  during  the 
day,  but  spread  out  under  cover  before  night  with  the  tops  left 
on,  and  when  the  tops  are  dry,  store  in  a  cool  dark  place  till 
wanted  for  use  or  sale.  If  you  have  sown  onion  seed  for  sets 
they  will  now  be  ripe.  Take  them  up  and  sift  the  soil  from 
them  and  spread  out  under  cover  to  cure  ready  for  setting  in 
September. 

If  you  are  still  growing  the  old  varieties  of  sweet  peppers 
for  pickles,  you  can  set  plants  early  in  July  for  the  pickles.  The 
newer  Pimiento  pepper  bears  all  the  season  through  from  June 
till  frost,  and  needs  but  one  setting  of  plants. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

The  tea  roses  which  bloom  so  profusely  in  May  and  June 
should  have  all  the  shoots  that  have  bloomed  cut  back  half  way 
to  start  a  new  growth  and  bloom.  In  cutting  roses  for  house 
decoration  it  is  always  best  to  cut  good  long  stems,  for  the  ever- 
blooming  tea  roses  and  the  hybrid  teas  bloom  on  the  young 
shoots,  and  to  get  a  continuous  profusion  of  flowers  they  need 
heavy  manuring  and  severe  cutting  to  induce  plenty  of  fresh 
blooming  wood. 

The  climbing  roses  like  the  Crimson  Rambler  and  Dorothy 
Perkins  will  need  good  treatment  after  their  blooming  season 
in  May,  for  they  are  peculiarly  liable  to  mildew.  Spraying  with 
a  solution  of  formaldehyde,  1  part  to  25  parts  of  water,  is 
usually  a  good  preventive.  I  also  use  a  preparation  called  Fun- 
gine,  and  have  found  it  effective.  But  do  not  wait  till  the  mil- 
dew is  all  over  the  plant,  for  you  cannot  save  the  mildewed 
leaves,  and  the  only  thing  you  can  do  then  is  to  prevent  it  on  the 
new  leaves. 

The  green  aphides  are  often  a  pest  on  roses.  Spraying 
with  a  solution  of  nicotine  sulfate  will  clean  these  out  easily. 
They  are  apt  to  be  worse  in  early  spring  than  in  hot  weather, 
but  they  appear  in  some  form  at  any  time. 

Keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  insects  of  all  kinds,  for  the  hot 
season  brings  many  kinds  into  activity. 


GAPxDEN  WORK  FOR  AUGUST  83 

AUGUST 

MAKE  the  first  sowing  of  Big  Boston  lettuce  early  in  the 
month  to  make  plants  for  setting  in  a  bed  10  x  10 
inches  for  fall  heading  outdoors.  The  soil  must  be 
made  very  rich  with  manure  and  fertilizer,  and  the  plants 
should  never  lack  for  water  after  setting  in  the  bed.  The  seed 
can  be  sown  in  rows  in  the  bed  and  thinned  to  the  proper  dis- 
tance, but  I  have  always  had  better  success  from  transplanting. 

Set  plants  of  the  Late  Flat  Dutch  cabbage  for  heading  in 
December  for  winter  keeping.  The  summer  and  early  fall  cab- 
bages should  be  used  or  disposed  of  as  soon  as  well  headed,  for 
they  will  burst  later. 

Set  celery  plants  the  middle  of  the  month  in  the  central 
and  upper  South,  and  in  the  far  South  sow  seed  for  the  winter 
crop.  Many  of  the  northern  dealers  now  grow  celery  plants 
late,  especially  for  southern  setting. 

Sow  seed  of  the  Norfolk  Savoy  spinach  for  the  fall  crop. 
Sow  in  rows  15  inches  apart  and  fertilize  well,  for  rapid  growth 
is  essential  to  making  good  spinach. 

Mustard  can  also  be  sown  for  fall  greens. 

Sow  Moss  Curled  parsley  in  a  frame  where  you  can  pro- 
tect it  in  winter  with  cloth.  It  is  perfectly  hardy,  but  to  have 
fresh  leaves  in  winter  it  is  best  to  shelter  it  from  hard  freezing. 
The  seed  germinate  slowly  and  should  be  sown  rather  thickly. 
If  sown  in  a  sheltered  bed  in  rows  and  well  mulched  with 
rough  manure  in  the  late  fall  it  may  do  very  well  without  the 
cloth. 

Early  in  the  month  sow  seed  of  the  Early  Milan  turnip  for 
fall  use,  and  later  in  the  month  sow  seed  of  the  Purple  Top 
Globe  and  the  Yellow  Aberdeen  for  winter  use.  Sow  these  in 
rows  16  inches  apart  and  cultivate  clean.  The  last  of  the  month 
seed  of  the  Seven  Top  turnip  can  be  sown  broadcast  to  make 
greens  for  winter  and  spring.  They  will  be  all  the  better  if 
sheltered  with  green  pine  boughs  in  winter. 

The  early  dwarf  garden  peas  can  still  be  sown  early  in 
the  month  in  the  same  manner  suggested  for  last  month,  and 
will  generally  be  more  free  from  mildew  than  sown  earlier. 
But  it  will  be  well  to  spray  them  with  bordeaux  mixture  to 
ward  off  mildew. 


84  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Sow  seed  of  the  Celestial  radish  in  rows  in  a  bed  12  inches 
apart.  Make  the  soil  very  rich  and  thin  them  to  3  inches,  for 
they  grow  as  large  as  a  big  turnip.  Seed  of  the  Red  Turnip- 
Rooted  Chinese  and  the  Rose-Colored  Chinese  radish  can  also 
be  sown.  Sow  all  of  these  about  the  middle  of  the  month. 
The  Celestial  is  fine  boiled  like  turnips,  and  is  also  good  raw. 
The  Rose-Colored  Chinese  radish  is  rather  more  hardy.  It  can 
be  left  in  the  row,  and  if  well  mulched  with  coarse  manure  it 
can  be  pulled  all  winter,  and  the  roots  do  not  get  pithy. 

The  Dwarf  Essex  rape  is  now  commonly  sown  for  hogs 
and  other  stock,  but  few  realize  what  fine  boiled  greens  it  makes, 
and  it  will  not  come  amiss  to  have  some  in  the  garden  for  fall 
and  winter  greens. 

But  for  the  standard  winter  greens  sow  the  Norfolk  Curled 
kale  in  rows  15  inches  apart,  and  it  and  the  rape,  too,  will  be 
ready  to  cut  all  winter.  Boiled  greens  are  wholesome  and 
should  be  continually  on  hand  in  every  farm  garden. 

Plant  more  snap  beans  for  fall  crop  and  have  some  for 
canning  or  putting  down  in  stone  jars  in  brine  for  the  winter. 
We  pack  these  raw  in  the  glass  fruit  jars  and  set  in  the  boiler 
with  the  tops  loose  to  cook  and  then  screw  tight,  and  they  keep 
finely.  Egg  plants  are  peeled,  cut  up,  and  packed  in  the  jars 
and  cooked  in  the  same  way.  Then  if  taken  out  in  winter,  made 
out  in  cakes  and  fried,  they  are  as  good  as  if  fresh. 

In  the  latter  half  of  the  month  sow  seed  of  the  Prizetaker 
and  Giant  Gibraltar  onions  in  a  seed  bed,  and  when  they  are 
the  size  of  a  lead  pencil  transplant  them  in  rows  15  inches  apart 
in  well  enriched  soil  and  they  will  winter  well  and  make  very 
large  onions  next  summer. 

In  the  colder  Piedmont  and  mountain  sections  they  should 
be  sown  in  January  in  cold  frames  under  glass  and  transplanted 
in  the  early  spring,  but  in  all  the  warmer  sections,  fall  planting 
will  succeed. 

Keep  the  leeks  cleanly  cultivated  and  continue  to  draw  the 
soil  to  them  till  somewhat  mounded  up.  Leeks  are  milder  than 
onions  and  make  a  fine  dish  in  winter.  They  are  perfectly 
hardy  and  are  left  all  winter  where  they  grew,  ready  for  pull- 
ing at  any  time.    They  take  the  place  of  green  onions  very  well 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  AUGUST  •• 

till  the  onions  are  ready  in  the  spring,  and  add  a  great  deal  to 
the  making  of  an  all-the-year-round  garden.  In  fact,  if  one 
watches  the  chances,  the  garden  will  be  almost  as  full  of  fresh 
vegetables  in  winter  as  in  summer. 

The  latest  tomato  plants  will  now  be  setting  green  fruit  for 
the  September  and  October  crop.  Keep  them  clean  of  the  ag- 
gressive crab  grass,  and  they  will  be  all  the  better  trained  up 
to  stakes  in  the  garden,  though  in  field  culture  they  are  usually 
allowed  to  take  their  natural  habit  on  the  ground.  Spraying 
with  bordeaux  mixture  is  needed  to  ward  off  the  leaf  blight. 
But  for  bacterial  blight  that  causes  the  plants  to  suddenly  col- 
lapse there  is  no  help  except  to  plant  in  uninfected  soil. 

Sow  some  parsley  seed  now  in  a  frame  where  it  can  be 
protected  in  winter  either  with  sash  or  cloth,  and  it  will  be  ready 
for  use  all  winter. 

J  Cultivate  the  late  Irish  potatoes  shallow,  level  and  rap- 
idly, and  do  not  hill  them  up.  We  need  at  this  season  to  main- 
tain a  loose  dust  blanket  on  the  soil  to  retain  moisture. 

A  medium  early  sugar  corn  like  Kendall's  Giant  planted 
the  first  of  August  will  in  ordinary  seasons  give  some  roasting 
ears  before  frost. 

Celery  plants  can  now  be  set  for  the  winter  crop. 

Keep  the  green  pods  of  okra  cut  closely.  If  you  allow  it 
to  get  old  and  ripen  seed,  the  plants  will  soon  stop  making  pods. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

August  is  the  best  time  to  plant  bulbs  of  the  old  white  lily 
or  Lilium  Candidum,  known  also  as  the  Madonna  lily.  This 
lily  must  make  a  good  fall  growth  above  ground  in  order  to 
bloom  well  the  next  season.  The  Guernsey  lily,  Nerine  Sar- 
niense,  is  now  still  dormant  and  can  be  planted,  though  July 
would  have  been  better.  It  blooms  in  late  September  and  then 
throws  up  its  leaves  which  are  green  all  winter  and  disappear 
in  the  heat  of  summer. 


86  MASSEY*S  GARDEN  BOOK 

SEPTEMBER 

MAKE  the  second  sowing  of  spinach  seed  early  in  the 
month,  and  about  the  last  of  the  month  sow  for  win- 
tering over  for  spring  cutting.  This  last  sowing  I  sow 
broadcast  in  heavily  fertilized  soil,  and  rake  the  seed  in  well, 
as  they  seem  to  winter  better  in  this  way.  In  the  lower  South 
this  sowing  will  be  in  shape  for  cutting  in  winter,  and  the 
Southern  truckers  commonly  sow  again  in  February  for  the 
latest  spring  cutting. 

Sow  seed  of  the  Early  Jersey  Wakefield  cabbage  after  the 
middle  of  the  month  to  make  plants  for  setting  in  open  furrows 
in  November.    These  are  the  so-called  "frost  proof"  plants. 

The  turnip-rooted  radishes  will  still  make  a  crop  sown 
early  in  the  month  in  very  good  soil  heavily  fertilized.  The 
winter  radishes  mentioned  in  August  can  also  still  be  sown 
early  this  month. 

About  the  middle  of  September,  plant  sets  of  the  Yellow 
Potato  onion  for  the  earliest  ripe  onion  next  June.  Plant  at 
same  time  sets  of  the  Norfolk  Queen  and  Pearl  for  green 
onions  in  early  spring. 

Seed  of  the  Prizetaker  and  Giant  Gibraltar  and  Denia  on- 
ions can  still  be  sown  in  beds  and  transplanted,  as  soon  as  they 
reach  the  size  of  a  lead  pencil  in  rows  15  inches  apart,  as  we 
plant  all  onions.  These  will  make  very  large  ripe  onions  next 
summer.  In  the  upper  South  the  sowing  can  be  deferred  till 
January,  the  seed  being  then  sown  under  glass  in  a  frame  for 
transplanting  in  spring,  but  in  all  the  warmer  sections  of  the 
South  the  fall  sowing  will  be  successful.  In  fact,  the  early 
Pearl  can  be  sown  now  and  make  good  green  onions  in  spring. 

In  the  lower  South,  Black  Valentine  beans  sown  early  this 
month  will  have  time  to  make  a  crop  before  frost. 

Seed  of  cauliflowers  can  now  be  sowed.  Set  in  a  bed  or 
frame  15  inches  apart,  and  protected  with  cloth  in  very  cold 
weather,  having  the  soil  very  rich  in  the  frame,  they  will  head 
in  April  or  early  May. 

J  The  Norfolk  Curled  kale  can  also  be  sowed  in  rows  for 
late  winter  and  early  spring  cutting  for  greens,  as  can  the 
Seven-Top  turnip. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  SEPTEMBER  87 

The  Pimiento  peppers  can  be  canned  just  like  snap  beans, 
and  when  boiled  in  winter  are  fine. 

If  you  sowed  English  peas  in  August  they  should  be 
sprayed  with  bordeaux  mixture  to  prevent  mildew  before 
blooming. 

Give  the  late  Irish  potatoes  rapid  and  shallow  cultivation. 
They  need  a  dust  blanket  on  the  surface  to  conserve  the  moist- 
ure in  the  soil. 

Do  not  disturb  the  sweet  potato  vines.  Some  think  it  well 
to  pull  them  loose  from  the  ground,  but  this  does  more  harm 
than  good. 

Any  of  the  flat  turnips  will  make  a  crop  in  good  soil  sowed 
this  month.  The  Purple  Top  American  Globe  is  a  good  variety, 
but  for  September  sowing  the  strap-leaved  varieties  are  best. 

The  asparagus  tops  which  you  find  full  of  red  berries 
had  better  be  cut  and  burnt  unless  you  want  the  bed  smothered 
with  seedling  volunteer  plants.  But  the  tops  in  general  should 
not  be  disturbed  till  frost.  Keep  the  asparagus  clean  of  weeds 
and  grass. 

Lettuce  plants  from  seed  sowed  in  August  should  now  be 
set  for  heading.  I  find  it  best  and  convenient  to  plant  in  beds 
about  6  feet  wide  and  10  inches  apart  in  the  bed  each  way.  I 
lift  the  plants  carefully  with  a  garden  trowel  and  drop  them  at 
once  into  a  bucket  of  water  and  set  them  dripping  wet.  Even 
when  no  water  is  afterward  applied  these  plants  will  usually 
live.  Of  course  if  the  soil  is  very  dry,  a  good  soaking  is  neces- 
sary. For  this  planting  I  use  the  Hanson  and  Wonderful,  as 
they  stand  the  warm  weather  of  September  better  than  the  Big 
Boston.  What  is  needed  is  a  bed  heavily  manured,  and  then, 
after  the  plants  start,  some  nitrate  of  soda  as  a  side-dressing  to 
push  them  along,  for  lettuce  to  be  good  must  be  grown  fast,  and 
if  stunted  by  dry  soil  or  lack  of  plant  food,  you  will  not  get 
good  heads  and  many  plants  will  run  to  seed. 

The  middle  of  the  month  sow  seed  of  the  Big  Boston  let- 
tuce to  set  in  the  frames  later. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

September  is  the  time  for  planting  most  of  the  hardy  bulbs 
such  as  hyacinth,  tulip  and  narcissus.    Plant  the  bulbs  3  inches 


S5  MASSEY  S  GARDEN  BOOK 

deep,  and  after  planting  cover  the  beds  well  with  rough  manure, 
and  as  they  start  in  spring  rake  off  the  rough  part. 

The  Roman  hyacinths  and  the  Polyanthus  narcissus  are 
better  planted  late  after  the  soil  gets  cold.  They  are  reputed  to 
be  tender,  but  this  is  mainly  because  they  start  to  grow  at  once 
if  planted  early,  and  in  that  case  will  get  hurt,  but  if  planted 
late  they  will  remain  dormant  till  February.  The  best  of  the 
Polyanthus  narcissus  is  the  Paper-White  Grandiflora.  Grand 
Soliel  D'Or  is  yellow  and  also  good.  The  so-called  Dutch- 
Roman  hyacinths  are  simply  small  bulbs  of  the  regular  Dutch 
hyacinths.  They  bloom  finely  and  will  make  large  bulbs  the 
next  season  and  bloom  larger  spikes.  I  prefer  to  plant  these 
rather  than  the  regular  sizes,  for  they  continue  to  give  large 
spikes  longer  than  the  larger  ones. 

Sow  seed  of  the  Phlox  Drummondii  to  winter  over  for 
early  spring  blooming.  In  mild  winters  they  will  often  bloom 
in  February,  and  in  any  season  will  make  more  flowers  and 
better  than  if  sown  in  the  spring,  as  the  plants  are  perfectly 
hardy. 

If  you  have  the  large  flowered  cannas  you  can  save  seed 
from  them  and  plant  them  at  once  and  they  will  grow  in  spring 
and  you  may  get  some  strikingly  new  varieties.  If  not  conve- 
nient to  plant  them  this  fall,  put  them  in  a  box  of  moist  sand 
and  bury  the  box  outside  till  spring  and  then  sow  them. 

Lift  the  early-planted  gladiolus  bulbs  and  separate  the  new 
bulb  or  corm  from  the  old  one.  Save  the  little  bulblets  that 
form  under  the  main  bulbs,  and  sow  them  at  once  in  rows  about 
3  inches  deep  and  they  will  grow  in  the  spring  and  make  bloom- 
ing bulbs  in  one  season's  growth,  and  in  this  way  you  can  rap- 
idly increase  your  supply  of  this  flower. 

Peonies  can  now  be  taken  up  and  the  roots  divided  and  re- 
planted, setting  them  with  the  tops  not  over  2  inches  under  the 
surface,  for  if  planted  deeply  they  will  not  bloom  well  and  they 
need  great  care  in  the  South  to  bloom  at  all.  They  do  best  in 
a  strong  clay  loam  retentive  of  moisture. 

The  hardy  perennial  phlox,  too,  can  be  divided  and  re- 
planted, but  November  is  a  better  time. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  OCTOBER  89 

OCTOBER 

(These  October  notes  are  for  the  upper  South.  Further 
South  they  will  apply  to  November.) 

THE  first  of  the  month  make  the  last  sowing  of  spinach  for 
wintering  over  for  spring  cutting.  This  can  be  sown 
broadcast  and  raked  in.  The  soil  should,  of  course,  be 
well  manured.    In  the  lower  South  sow  seed  last  of  month. 

When  frost  nips  the  tops  of  the  sweet  potatoes,  they  should 
be  lifted  at  once.  This  can  be  best  done  in  dry  sunny  weather. 
If  they  are  to  be  stored  in  a  potato  curing  house,  the  best  way 
is  to  put  them  carefully  in  slatted  bushel  crates  in  the  field  as 
they  are  dug,  and  store  them  in  the  crates,  for  the  less  handling 
done  the  less  danger  there  will  be  of  bruising  or  skinning  them, 
for  it  is  the  skinned  places  that  get  infected  and  start  decay. 
Keep  out  all  cut  potatoes  for  immediate  use,  and  under  no  cir- 
cumstances allow  the  potatoes  to  be  carelessly  thrown  in  heaps 
in  the  field.  If  they  are  to  be  stored  in  the  old  style  banks, 
gather  them  in  baskets  in  the  field,  haul  them  to  the  banks  in 
baskets  and  place  them  in  the  heaps  with  as  much  care  as  you 
would  place  eggs. 

The  late  crop  of  Irish  potatoes,  too,  is  to  be  dug  when  the 
tops  are  frosted  off.  The  keeping  of  these  is  far  more  simple, 
for  the  things  to  be  avoided  with  the  Irish  potatoes  are  heat  and 
light,  and  if  they  are  stored  in  a  perfectly  dark  place  where  the 
temperature  will  be  just  above  the  freezing  point,  all  the  better. 
In  the  absence  of  a  dark  cold  cellar,  the  best  way  is  to  put  them 
in  heaps  and  cover  with  earth  thick  enough  to  prevent  freezing 
clear  through.  In  most  places  6  inches  of  earth  will  be  an 
abundant  cover,  and  all  the  better  if  under  a  shed  to  keep  the 
earth  dry.  The  sweet  potato  banks  should  always  be  under 
shelter. 

Late  cabbages  will  usually  keep  growing  and  heading  till 
December,  and  directions  as  to  keeping  these  and  collards  will 
be  found  in  our  December  calendar. 

Set  lettuce  plants  in  the  frames  for  the  Christmas  crop. 
Frames  with  glass  sashes  are  far  better  than  cloth,  but  with 
care  you  can  grow  good  lettuce  under  cloth.  The  soil  in  the 
frames  should  be  well  stuffed  with  rotten  manure,  and  the 


90  massey's  garden  book 

plants  aided  after  starting  with  dressings  of  fertilizer  between 
the  rows.  Set  the  plants  8  x  10  inches  for  the  Big  Boston. 
The  Boston  Market  and  Tennis  Ball  and  the  Belmont  can  be 
set  8  inches  each  way.  Keep  the  glass  or  cloth  off  in  all  sunny 
weather  and  do  not  cover  till  the  nights  are  quite  frosty.  Then 
attend  to  watering,  for  if  the  frames  are  allowed  to  dry  out  the 
lettuce  will  not  amount  to  much. 

The  early-sown  spinach  will  now  be  coming  into  use.  In 
cutting,  cut  the  entire  plant  and  not  merely  the  loose  leaves. 

When  frost  threatens  the  tomato  vines,  gather  all  the  well- 
grown  green  tomatoes  and  wrap  them  in  paper  and  store  for 
ripening.  Then  clean  up  all  dead  vegetation  from  the  garden 
and  put  it  into  the  compost  heap  to  rot  and  finally  go  back  on 
the  garden.  Never  burn  any  garden  refuse,  for  all  the  refuse 
will  make  humus  for  the  soil. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

When  frost  cuts  the  tops  of  the  dahlias  it  is  best  to  lift 
them  and  bury  in  a  dry  place  covered  with  straw  or  old  news- 
papers, mounding  the  soil  over  them.  Of  course,  in  most  places 
they  will  keep  if  merely  well  covered  in  winter  with  coarse 
manure,  but  then  in  spring  they  will  grow  with  a  mass  of  shoots, 
and  it  is  better  to  have  them  where  you  can  take  them  up  and 
divide  them  so  as  to  have  a  root  and  one  shoot  to  a  plant. 

Cannas,  too,  should  have  the  dead  tops  cut  off  and  either 
lifted  and  buried  or  else  thickly  covered  where  they  grew  with 
pinestraw  and  their  own  dead  tops.  Take  up  caladiums  or  ele- 
phant ears  after  frost  and  cut  off  the  tops  and  roots  and  store 
the  tubers  in  boxes  of  dry  sand  in  a  warm  place.  I  know  that 
they  will  live  out  in  the  warmer  sections  with  a  good  cover,  but 
they  are  all  the  better  taken  up  and  stored  and  kept  in  dry 
sand. 

Tulip,  hyacinth  and  narcissus  bulbs  can  still  be  planted. 
In  fact,  I  have  planted  tulips  Christmas  week  and  had  them  do 
as  well  as  if  they  had  been  planted  earlier. 

Seed  of  the  Phlox  Drummondil  can  still  be  sown  tarry  in 
the  month.  Canna  seed  and  the  little  bulblets  from  the  glad- 
iolus can  also  be  sown  to  grow  in  spring. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  OCTOBER 


n 


Take  up  the  gladiolus  and  separate  the  new  bulbs  or  cormg 
from  the  old  exhausted  ones  and  throw  the  latter  away.  Store 
gladiolus  in  boxes,  each  variety  labeled,  or  in  paper  bags  put  in 
boxes  and  keep  in  a  cool  place,  but  where  no  frost  gets  to  them. 

Hyacinths  for  blooming  in  pots  should  be  potted  and  the 
pots  buried  outdoors  for  three  weeks  to  get  well  rooted.  Then 
they  can  be  taken  up,  brought  in,  put  in  sunny  windows,  and  if 
well  watered,  will  make  good  spikes.  The  dealers  make  special 
selections  of  varieties  best  suited  to  pot  culture. 

The  white  Roman  hyacinths  can  be  planted  thickly  in  shal- 
low boxes  of  soil  and  covered  well  outdoors  till  rooted.  Brought 
into  the  house  then,  they  will  give  lots  of  bloom  for  Christmas. 
Do  not  plant  these  outside  till  middle  of  November. 

The  Chinese  Sacred  lily,  or  narcissus  tazetta,  can  be  put 
in  bowls  of  water  with  pebbles  and  set  in  a  dark  closet  to  get 
rooted,  and  will  make  plenty  of  flowers  if  well  treated  and  not 
allowed  to  dry.  Paper-White  narcissus  can  be  successfully 
grown  in  the  same  way,  and  hyacinths  also  set  in  glasses  made 
for  the  purpose  will  bloom  well  in  water  if  allowed  to  get  rooted 
well  in  the  dark.    But  be  sure  to  have  the  water  changed  often. 

Usually  it  is  best  to  prepare  and  sow  the  lawn  in  the  fall. 
To  make  a  good  lawn  the  ground  should  be  broken  deeply  and 
a  heavy  application  of  slaked  lime  made  and  worked  into  the 
soil  and  then  a  dressing  of  any  good  high-grade  fertilizer.  With 
the  soil  in  perfect  condition  the  grass  is  to  be  sown.  Sow  a 
mixture  of  Kentucky  bluegrass,  red  top,  sheep  fescue  and 
Rhode  Island  bent  grass  in  equal  amounts,  and  use  this  at  rate 
of  50  pounds  an  acre,  for  thick  seeding  is  essential  to  the  mak- 
ing of  a  good  lawn.  After  sowing  the  grass  seed  scatter  about 
2  pounds  an  acre  of  white  clover  seed.  Top-dress  the  grass  with 
bone  dust  every  spring  and  every  four  or  five  years  brush  in 
some  lime. 

Where  you  already  have  a  Bermuda  sod  for  summer,  disk 
the  Bermuda  over  and  sow  thickly  in  October  with  the  Italian 
rye  grass,  and  then  roll  the  sod  back.  The  disking  will  not  hurt 
the  Bermuda  but  will  be  more  likely  to  improve  it.  The  Italian 
rye  grass  will  make  the  winter  and  spring  lawn  green,  and  die 
out  in  summer  giving  place  to  the  Bermuda. 


«  massey's  garden  book 

NOVEMBER 

LATE  in  the  month  the  early  Jersey  Wakefield  cabbage 
plants  from  seed  sown  in  September  will  be  ready  for 
planting.  Make  furrows  3  feet  apart,  fill  half  full  with  fine 
old  manure,  on  this  apply  a  liberal  dressing  of  acid  phosphate 
and  then  bed  on  these.  Then  open  a  furrow  along  the  crest  of 
the  bed,  the  rows  running  east  and  west,  set  the  plants  in  the 
open  furrow  and  deep  enough  to  cover  the  entire  stem,  and 
they  will  usually  winter  well.  In  spring  when  the  soil  is  lev- 
eled, they  will  be  in  the  proper  position  in  the  soil.  We  want 
to  keep  them  dormant  and  not  excite  them  into  tender  growth, 
as  is  often  done  when  they  are  set  on  the  south  side  of  a  ridge. 

Now  cover  the  whole  garden  thickly  with  stable  manure, 
hiding  every  bit  of  soil,  mulching  between  all  the  rows  of  the 
winter  vegetables.  By  spring  this  manure  will  be  well  rotted 
and  ready  to  feed  crops  far  better  than  would  fresh  manure 
applied  at  planting  time. 

Lettuce  plants  can  be  set  between  the  cabbage  plants  and 
will  generally  winter  all  right  and  head  in  spring  before  the 
:abbage  need  all  the  room,  the  cabbage  being  set  15  inches  apart. 
For  this  planting  the  Hanson  Wonderful  or  New  York  varieties 
are  good. 

Set  cauliflower  plants  in  cold  frames  six  plants  to  a  sash 
and  fill  in  between  with  close-heading  lettuce  like  the  Tennis 
Ball.  The  frames  will  need«special  attention  this  month  to  pre- 
vent the  lettuce  and  other  plants  from  growing  too  tender.  Ex- 
pose them  fully  in  all  sunny  weather,  and  put  the  glass  on  only 
on  frosty  nights  and  cold  stormy  days. 

Seed  of  the  Marrowfat  garden  pea  can  be  sown  this  month 
and  furnished  some  brush  to  climb  on.  The  market  growers 
plant  them  along  the  rows  of  dead  cotton  stalks  as  a  support. 
These  peas  come  in  after  the  extra  early  peas  planted  in  Jan- 
uary and  February. 

November  is  the  best  time  of  the  year  for  planting  out 
strawberry  plants.  They  live  better  now  than  if  planted  earlier, 
as  the  soil  will  not  get  dry  again,  and  the  plants  will  get  strong 
enough  to  give  a  fair  crop  of  fruit  in  the  spring.  Raspberries, 
dewberries  and  blackberries  may  also  be  planted  now. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  NOVEMBER  93 

Set  strawberries  in  rows  4  feet  apart  and  15  inches  apart 
in  the  rows.  Plant  blackberries  and  raspberries  3x6  feet,  and 
dewberries  4  feet  each  way  to  be  tied  up  to  stakes  in  spring. 

Fruit  trees  of  all  kinds  except  figs  should  preferably  be 
planted  in  the  fall  in  the  South,  since  the  soil  does  not  freeze 
deeply,  and  the  roots  will  be  putting  out  new  fibres  to  supply 
the  trees  as  the  buds  swell  in  spring.  Buy  trees  from  the  near- 
est good  nursery.  Get  catalogues  and  make  your  selections. 
Do  not  buy  from  traveling  agents,  as  you  can  buy  cheaper  di- 
rect from  the  nursery.    For  planting  directions,  see  elsewhere. 

Dig  horse-radish  the  last  of  the  month  and  trim  off  the  side 
roots  to  make  cuttings  for  spring  planting.  Cut  the  lower  end 
sloping  and  the  top  square  across  so  that  you  will  not  plant 
them  upside  down  in  spring.  The  main  roots  are  now  to  be 
disposed  of  or  buried  for  winter  family  use,  covering  them  with 
just  enough  soil  to  keep  them  fresh,  for  frost  will  not  hurt 
them.    The  trimmed  roots  always  find  a  ready  market. 

Sow  seed  of  Big  Boston  lettuce  in  a  frame  under  glass  to 
make  plants  for  setting  in  other  frames  in  January  to  follow 
the  Christmas  crop,  this  lettuce  to  head  in  late  winter  and  early 
spring.  Do  not  plant,  however,  in  the  same  soil  which  has 
grown  the  fall  crop.  The  advantage  of  having  small  portable 
frames  is  that  the  succession  crops  can  be  grown  in  fresh  soil 
by  simply  moving  the  frames. 

About  the  last  of  November  is  a  good  time  to  cover  the 
cabbage  that  has  been  headed  for  winter.  Turn  the  heads  over 
toward  the  north,  and  bank  the  soil  over  the  stems  and  lower 
part  of  the  head  and  the  open  top  will  be  shaded  from  the  win- 
ter sun,  which  does  more  damage  than  the  cold.  Cabbage  partly 
headed  will  head  if  buried  in  this  way. 

Spinach  can  of  course  be  cut  all  winter  in  the  South,  but 
it  will  be  far  better  if  well  mulched  with  stable  manure. 

Right  now  I  take  my  little  garden  plow  and  throw  a  furrow 
to  eachside  of  the  rows  of  onions,  carrots  and  beets  as  a  winter 
protection.  The  earth  will  be  pulled  away  from  the  onion  rows 
in  March  so  that  the  onions  will  form  on  the  surface  with  only 
the  roots  in  the  soil. 

Cut  out  all  the  blackberry  and  raspberry  canes  that  fruited 


94  massey's  garden  book 

this  year  if  this  has  not  already  been  done.  New  plants  can 
now  be  set.  Blackberries  and  raspberries  are  planted  in  rows 
6  feet  apart  and  3  feet  in  the  rows.  Dewberries  to  be  tied  up 
to  stakes  can  be  set  4  feet  each  way.  The  runners  should  lie  on 
the  ground  all  winter  and  be  tied  up  in  spring. 

Prune  scuppernong  vines  in  November  when  needed,  for 
they  will  bleed  less  now  than  if  pruned  at  any  other  time.  The 
cluster  grapes  are  better  left  till  March. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

Plant  now  any  of  the  hardy  bulbs  that  have  not  been 
planted  earlier.  Late  in  the  month,  after  the  soil  has  gotten 
cold,  plant  the  white  Roman  hyacinths  and  the  Paper- White 
narcissus  and  the  Chinese  Sacred  lily,  and  narcissus  tazetta,  for 
in  the  South  these  will  do  as  well  outside  as  in  the  bowls  of 
water  in  the  house.  But  they  can  still  be  planted  in  the  bowls, 
keeping  in  the  dark  till  rooted. 

Plants  of  pansies  grown  from  seed  sown  in  August  can 
now  be  set  in  cold  frames  under  glass  sashes.  Set  6  inches 
apart  they  will  give  plenty  of  flowers  in  late  winter  and  early 
spring.  Beds  outside  can  also  be  set  with  pansies  for  spring 
blooming,  for  they  make  better  flowers  early  in  the  spring  than 
after  the  weather  gets  hot. 

All  kinds  of  bulbs  like  Hyacinths,  narcissus  and  tulip  can 
also  be  planted  in  the  frames  and  will  give  earlier  flowers  than 
outside.  At  the  same  time  the  frames  will  protect  them  from 
the  cold  that  often  cuts  the  early  blooms  in  the  open  ground. 

Mignonette  seed  planted  under  the  sashes  will  give  an 
abundance  of  their  fragrant  spikes  of  bloom  in  late  winter,  and 
Phlox  Drummondi  will  bloom  all  winter  in  the  frames. 

The  beds  of  bulbs  planted  in  the  fall  should  always  have  a 
thick  coat  of  manure  on  the  beds,  and  the  rough  part  raked  off 
as  the  plants  begin  to  shoot  in  early  spring.  None  of  the  bulbs 
like  manure  in  direct  contact  with  them,  but  are  greatly  helped 
by  top  dressings  of  manure. 

If  delayed  in  getting  the  bulbs  of  tulips,  hyacinths,  etc., 
earlier,  they  can  be  planted  at  any  time  up  to  Christmas,  but 
earlier  olantirur  is  best  except  for  the  Paper- White  narcissus 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  NOVEMBER  ** 

and  the  White  Roman  hyacinth.  In  fact,  it  is  well  to  remem- 
ber that  the  planting  dates  suggested  by  authorities  mean  the 
best  time,  though  many  things  can  be  planted  an^d  many  seed 
sown  earlier  or  later  than  the  dates  suggested. 


96  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

DECEMBER 

IF  the  Wakefield  cabbage  plants  were  not  set  last  month  they 
may  still  be  transplanted.  In  fact,  where  a  hard  freeze  inter- 
fered, I  have  known  them  planted  in  January  with  success, 
after  the  soil  had  thawed  out. 

If  not  already  done,  get  the  manure  mulch  on  the  whole 
garden  at  once.  You  will  get  far  better  results  by  having  ma- 
nure rotting  on  the  ground  all  winter  than  by  spreading  fresh 
manure  in  spring. 

On  the  general  truck  patch  outside,  I  assume  that  you 
sowed  crimson  clover  as  a  winter  cover,  which  is  not  available 
in  the  garden  proper  where  we  should  have  most  of  the  soil 
occupied  by  the  winter  crops. 

But  for  sweet  potatoes  especially  there  is  nothing  equal  to 
a  coat  of  crimson  clover  turned  under  when  mature,  having  the 
plants  set  on  the  general  level  and  the  only  hilling  done  in  the 
cultivation  with  sweeps.  With  the  turned-under  clover,  the 
sweet  potatoes  will  need  only  acid  phosphate  and  some  potash 
when  available. 

If  your  sweet  potatoes  are  stored  in  banks  see  that  the  rain 
is  kept  off  the  banks.  It  will  pay  well  to  build  a  shed  over  them, 
for  if  the  water  gets  through  and  wets  the  pine  straw  they  will 
not  keep  well.  If  stored  in  a  curing  house  watch  the  tempera- 
ture closely,  and  try  to  keep  it  not  above  50  degrees  nor  lower 
than  45  degrees  after  the  potatoes  have  been  dried  off  at  a  high 
heat. 

In  the  lower  South  the  early  Irish  potatoes  may  be  planted 
late  in  this  month,  but  even  in  north  Florida  there  is  danger 
that  they  may  get  up  too  early  and  be  nipped  by  the  frost  in 
February.  I  have  tried  December  planting  in  North  Carolina, 
but  there  would  prefer  to  wait  till  February.  Of  course  you  can 
save  them  when  up  by  throwing  a  furrow  over  the  tops  when 
frost  threatens,  and  in  the  lower  South  it  is  important  to  plant 
early  and  have  the  potatoes  out  of  the  rush  of  early  spring 
work. 

If  not  set  in  November,  set  cabbage  plants  now  for  early 
spring  heading.  These  winter  better  if  set  in  open  furrows 
running  east  and  west,  and  deep  enough  to  cover  the  entire 
stem. 


GARDEN  WORK  FOR  DECEMBER  97 

In  the  lower  South,  cauliflower  plants  can  be  set,  but  in  the 
upper  South  these  will  be  safer  under  cloth  till  February. 

The  English  Broad  beans  can  be  planted  about  Christmas 
and  will  come  in  green  with  the  peas  in  spring,  and  are  then 
quite  good.  They  do  not  mind  the  cold  but  succumb  soon  to 
heat  if  planted  too  late. 

Lettuce  plants  can  be  set  between  the  early  cabbage  plants 
and  will  usually  winter  well  and  head  in  spring.  The  Hanson 
and  the  Wonderful  or  Shellem  lettuce  will  be  better  for  this 
planting  than  the  Big  Boston,  which  runs  to  seed  with  the  first 
warmth  of  spring. 

Lettuce  in  frames  should  be  fully  exposed  in  all  mild  and 
sunny  weather,  and  should  not  be  allowed  to  get  too  dry. 

In  the  Flower  Garden 

This  is  a  good  time  to  do  mulching.  For  general  mulching 
either  straw  or  leaves  may  be  used.  To  mulch  roses,  use  a  half- 
decayed,  strawy  manure  placed  6  inches  deep  around  the  bushes. 

It  may  also  be  well  to  give  some  of  the  tender  shrubs  and 
plants  a  protecting  wind-break  of  boughs  or  boards. 


IV.-SMALL  FRUITS 

Strawberries 

THE  most  popular  and  generally  grown  small  fruit  is  the 
strawberry.  The  best  time  to  set  strawberry  plants  in  the 
South  is  in  November  or  early  December.  Plants  set  in 
November  will  get  a  good  growth  and  make  a  fair  crop  in  the 
spring.  Spring-set  plants  should  not  be  allowed  to  fruit,  but 
should  have  the  blooms  picked  off,  so  that  the  plants  can  get 
strong.  In  garden  culture  the  rows  may  be  made  3  feet  apart. 
In  field  culture  where  horse-power  cultivation  is  used,  the  rows 
should  be  4  feet  apart. 

I  prefer  not  to  use  stable  manure  with  strawberries,  as  it 
brings  in  too  many  weeds  and  grasses.  With  potash  as  scarce 
as  it  is  when  this  book  is  written,  the  best  fertilizer  we  can  use 
is  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  cottonseed  meal  and  acid  phos- 
phate. 

Open  the  furrows  and  put  the  fertilizer  it  at  rate  of  500 
or  more  pounds  an  acre  and  bed  on  it.  Flatten  the  beds  half 
way  and  set  the  plants  15  inches  apart  in  the  row.  Keep  cleanly 
cultivated  during  the  following  summer,  and  train  the  runners 
in  along  the  rows  to  make  a  matted  row,  and  keep  the  middles 
clean  cultivated.  After  the  fruiting  season,  apply  another  500 
pounds  of  the  fertilizer  mixture  and  continue  the  cultivation, 
pulling  out  weeds  and  grass.  Then  the  plants  will  make  strong 
crowns  for  the  next  season's  fruiting. 

I  would  only  take  two  crops  from  a  bed,  and  would  set  a 
new  bed  every  fall,  for  the  old  bed  will  get  choked  with  grass 
and  clover,  and  we  get  far  better  fruit  by  renewing  the  beds 
frequently. 

Several  varieties  that  fruit  continuously  through  summer 
and  fall  have  been  recently  introduced.  Of  these  the  Progres- 
sive is  the  best.  I  find  that  it  is  best  to  treat  these  almost  as 
annuals ;  that  is,  set  the  plants  in  spring,  keep  all  the  blossoms 
off  till  June,  and  then  they  will  fruit  till  November.  The  fol- 
lowing spring  they  will  set  a  full  spring  crop,  and  after  this  is 
off,  turn  them  under  for  some  later  crop,  for  after  they  have 

n 


DEWBERRIES  AND   BLACKBERRIES  9* 

made  a  good  spring  crop  the  late  summer  and  fall  crop  will  be 
small.  In  the  meantime,  plant  more  every  spring.  They  are 
useful  for  family  consumption  and  a  nearby  market,  but  are 
hardly  of  value  for  distant  shipping. 

For  the  annual  spring  crop  the  best  varieties  are  Early 
Ozark  for  the  earliest;  then  Chesapeake,  the  best  of  all;  for 
large  berries,  Aroma,  Big  Joe  and  Amanda,  the  largest  of  all. 

Dewberries  and  Blackberries 

Dewberries  should  be  planted  about  4  feet  apart  each  way, 
and  the  canes  tied  up  to  stakes  in  the  spring,  and  clean  cultiva- 
tion given.  The  same  fertilizer  as  for  strawberries  will  be 
good  for  these  and  for  blackberries.  They,  too,  can  be  planted 
in  the  fall.  Dewberries,  like  raspberries,  are  cut  out  after  fruit- 
ing and  new  canes  grown  for  the  next  season.  These  are  best 
allowed  to  trail  along  the  rows  till  the  following  spring  and  then 
tied  up  to  the  stakes  for  fruiting. 

The  earliest  and  best  dewberry  for  family  use  is  the  Aus- 
tin. It  is  too  soft  for  shipping,  and  can  only  be  used  at  home 
or  a  near  market.  Lucretia  is  also  fine,  large  and  a  firm  ship- 
ping berry.  The  Atlantic  is  the  latest,  as  it  ripens  in  August. 
It  is  a  large,  fine  berry,  and  the  plants  are  rather  pretty  with 
their  finely  cut  leaves. 

The  blackberries  will  need  no  stakes  and  should  be  planted 
in  rows  6  feet  apart  and  3  feet  in  the  rows.  Clean  cultivation 
is  needed  by  these  also.  After  fruiting,  cut  out  the  old  canes 
and  allow  three  or  four  new  ones  to  grow  for  the  next  season. 
Keep  all  other  suckers  chopped  out  or  you  will  soon  have  a 
tangled  mass.  It  is  well  to  pinch  the  tips  of  the  new  canes 
when  about  3  feet  high  to  cause  them  to  branch.  Dewberries 
or  blackberries  can  occupy  the  same  place  for  a  number  of 
years  if  the  soil  is  regularly  fertilized. 

Of  blackberries  the  Early  Harvest  is  the  earliest,  and  a  pro- 
fuse bearer  of  medium  sized  berries,  with  a  flavor  peculiar  to 
this  variety.  El  Dorado  is  a  strong  grower  and  produces  very 
large  fruits  of  fine  flavor.  Blowers  is  also  large  and  sweet. 
Joy  is  one  of  the  newest  and  very  hardy  and  productive  of  large 
berries.    Leader  is  also  new,  and  claimed  to  be  remarkably  pro- 


loo  massey's  garden  book 

ductive — one  grower  claiming  to  have  made  about  8,000  quarts 
an  acre.  Nanticoke  is  a  tremendous  grower  and  should  be 
planted  6  feet  each  way.  It  is  terribly  thorny,  but  is  the  latest 
blackberry  grown,  ripening  in  August  and  running  into  Sep- 
tember. The  fruit  is  large  and  sweet,  but  too  soft  to  ship ;  good 
for  home  use,  but  too  rank  and  fierce  for  the  garden  proper. 

Raspberries 

So  far  as  soil  conditions  and  fertilization  are  concerned, 
the  raspberry  needs  the  same  treatment  as  the  blackberry  and 
the  same  distances  in  planting.  The  Black  Cap  varieties  usually 
do  better  in  the  South  than  the  red  ones,  but  all  of  them  can  be 
grown  with  proper  treatment.  The  red  raspberries  can  be 
grown  without  any  stakes,  but  will  do  better  in  the  garden  with 
strong  stakes  set  in  the  rows  and  a  wire  stretched  about  4  feet 
from  the  ground,  the  fruiting  canes  tied  out  fan-shaped  to  this 
wire  and  the  tips  pinched  as  they  get  above  the  wire  to  make 
branching.  The  Black  Caps  should  have  the  same  wire,  and  the 
canes  pinched  and  tied  out  on  the  wire. 

Red  raspberries  are  increased  by  suckers  or  cuttings  of  the 
roots.  The  root  cuttings  make  the  best  plants.  They  are  cut 
about  3  inches  long  and  buried  in  boxes  of  sand  in  winter,  and 
in  the  spring  planted  in  rows  to  make  a  season's  growth  before 
setting  where  they  are  to  fruit.  The  Black  Caps  propagate  rap- 
idly if  we  bury  tips  of  canes  in  summer,  and  every  tip 
in  the  soil  will  make  a  new  plant  by  fall.  But  unless  new  plants 
are  needed  the  canes  should  be  kept  up  to  the  wire  and  not  al- 
lowed to  touch  the  ground,  as  they  will  fruit  better  the  next 
season.  Like  the  blackberries  and  dewberries,  the  old  fruiting 
canes  must  be  cut  out  after  fruiting  and  new  canes  grown  for 
the  next  season.  The  Black  Caps  not  only  root  at  the  tips  but 
some  of  them  sucker  freely  and  these  must  be  kept  down  to 
prevent  the  plants  getting  too  thick. 

While  the  Black  Cap  raspberries  and  dewberries  will  root 
from  the  tips  of  the  young  canes  when  covered  with  earth,  all 
the  blackberries  and  raspberries  will  grow  from  root  cuttings, 
and  the  best  plants  are  grown  in  this  way.  The  long  roots  are 
cut  into  pieces  about  3  inches  lonsf  and  buried  in  the  fall  in 
boxes  of  sand,  and  in  the  spring  planted  in  rows  about  4  inches 


CURRANTS GOOSEBERRIES GRAPES  N>1 

apart  in  the  rows  and  the  rows  wide  enough  for  cultivation, 
and  they  will  make  fine  plants  by  fall.  This  is  especially  the 
best  way  to  grow  the  red  raspberries.  Plants  set  in  the  fall 
with  a  good  length  of  cane  left  will  make  some  fruit  the  fol- 
lowing season,  but  it  is  always  best  to  cut  them  back  near  the 
ground  to  get  a  strong  growth  for  fruiting  the  second  year. 
Dewberries  root  from  tips  or  root  cuttings. 

Of  the  class  of  the  red  raspberry,  there  are  varieties  with 
red  and  some  with  yellow  fruit,  and  seed  of  the  red  ones  will 
sometimes  produce  yellow-fruited  plants.  The  yellow  ones 
make  a  pretty  addition  in  the  garden  but  the  main  dependence 
is  usually  on  the  red  ones.  The  most  popular  red  raspberry  is 
the  Cuthbert.  It  is  called  the  "Concord  of  Raspberries,"  being 
as  generally  planted  as  the  Concord  among  grapes.  It  is  a 
strong  grower  and  good  bearer.  Golden  Queen  is  yellow-fruited 
and  was  grown  from  seed  of  the  Cuthbert.  Ohta  is  a  new  red 
raspberry  that  has  proved  to  be  of  the  highest  quality.  St. 
Regis  is  a  red  berry  which  has  been  largely  grown  of  late  years. 
It  fruits  both  spring  and  fall,  but  in  my  garden  I  have  found  it 
very  unproductive,  making  a  small  crop  at  both  seasons,  so  I 
do  not  advise  planting  it.  Of  the  Black  Cap  varieties  there  are 
some  which  make  purple  fruit  and  are  more  acid  than  black 
ones.  The  Cumberland  is  the  largest  berry  of  the  black  ones, 
and  is  medium  early.  Black  Pearl  is  fine  and  early  and  Gregg 
is  as  good  a  late  one  as  any. 

Currants  and  Gooseberries 

While  the  red  currants,  such  as  the  Cherry  and  Wilder, 
will  make  some  fruit  in  the  South  when  planted  in  strong,  moist 
clay  loam,  they  do  not  fruit  as  they  do  in  the  North,  and  the 
gooseberry  is  uniformly  unproductive  in  the  South  and  becomes 
a  cumberer  of  the  ground.  In  the  cool  mountain  valleys  both 
these  fruits  may  be  grown,  but  in  all  the  warmer  sections  of 
the  South  they  will  give  very  little  fruit. 

Grapes 

All  the  varieties  of  our  native  grapes  flourish  in  the  South. 
The  varieties  of  the  Rotundifolia  or  Vulpina  class  to  which  the 


102  M ASSET'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Scuppernong  belongs  come  to  the  greatest  perfection  in  the 
sandy  soils  of  the  coast  region,  though  they  may  be  grown  any- 
where outside  the  high  mountain  region. 

The  Scuppernong  and  the  black-fruited  varieties  are  all 
generally  grown  on  arbors,  and  as  a  rule  their  pruning  is  neg- 
lected till  the  vines  become  a  mass  of  wood  and  consequently 
less  productive.  These  grapes  should  be  pruned  as  regularly 
as  any,  but  the  only  time  to  do  it  safely  is  in  November.  The 
pruning  should  consist  of  cutting  out  all  the  dead  and  stunted 
wood  and  training  out  all  the  one-year  and  two-year  canes,  for 
they  fruit  on  the  two-year  wood.  The  Scuppernong  very  com- 
monly makes  imperfect  flowers  that  are  deficient  in  pollen,  and 
if  there  are  not  plenty  of  wild  barren  male  plants  growing 
around,  they  may  be  unproductive.  The  best  way  to  treat  an 
unproductive  Scuppernong  is  to  plant  a  barren  male  muscadine 
nearby  so  that  the  bees  will  carry  the  pollen  to  the  scuppernong, 
while  the  male  vine  will,  of  course,  make  no  fruit  itself. 

While  the  Scuppernong  and  its  class  are  always  grown  on 
arbors,  it  is  also  true  that  horizontal  training  is  best  in  the  South 
for  any  grape  rather  than  the  vertical  trellis.  In  extended  ex- 
periments in  North  Carolina  with  the  bunch  grapes  of  the  La- 
brusca  and  Aestivalis  class,  I  found  that  the  best  method  is  to 
plant  the  vines  in  rows  10  feet  apart  and  8  feet  in  the  rows. 
Then  set  stout  posts  along  the  rows  about  10  feet  apart  and 
about  6  feet  high.  Across  the  top  of  these  bolt  cross  pieces  of 
3x4  scantling  2l/2  feet  long.  Then  stretch  a  wire  along  the 
top  of  the  post  and  a  wire  to  each  end  of  the  crossbar,  making 
three  horizontal  wires.  The  first  year  one  strong  cane  is  grown 
to  a  stake  till  it  reaches  the  central  wire.  In  spring  this  is 
pruned  to  the  height  of  the  wire  and  two  canes  or  arms  are 
grown  each  way  on  the  central  wire.  These  are  pruned  to  4 
feet.  The  fruiting  shoots  then  are  trained  to  hang  over  the 
outer  wires  and  the  fruit  clusters  hang  beneath.  Two  new 
canes  are  grown  the  same  season  from  the  centre,  and  the  old 
canes  cut  out  the  following  March,  and  this  renewal  is  kept  up 
from  year  to  year. 

Of  course  the  soil  must  be  kept  manured  and  fertilized 
every  year  to  maintain  a  strong  growth.  While  the  only  proper 
time  to  prune  the  Scuppernong  and  its  class  is  in  November,  as 


GRAPES  103 

they  bleed  less  at  that  time,  the  cluster  grapes  should  not  be 
pruned  till  early  March.  If  these  are  pruned  in  the  fall  they 
are  apt  to  make  an  untimely  start  in  the  spring  and  a  return  of 
cold  will  kill  the  young  shoots. 

Of  the  Scuppernong  class,  of  course,  the  true  Scuppernong 
is  desirable.  The  James  makes  larger  fruits  and  is  earlier,  and 
is  black  in  color.  Flowers  is  also  good,  and  there  are  many 
good  black  seedlings  of  the  Scuppernong.  The  Mish  is  smaller 
than  the  James,  and  one  of  the  best  bearers. 

Of  the  bunch  grapes  the  best  varieties  for  the  South  are 
the  Concord,  Niagara,  Delaware,  Lutie,  Diamond,  and  Green 
Mountain.  Moore's  Early  is  similar  to  Concord  but  earlier. 
Brighton  is  a  very  fine  early  red  grape  which  needs  to  be  set 
with  other  varieties  to  insure  good  setting  of  the  fruit. 

All  grapes  can  be  well  grown  from  layers,  but  that  is  about 
the  only  good  way  to  increase  the  Scuppernong  and  its  class. 
To  grow  the  plants  get  a  good  long  cane  from  the  base  of  the 
vine  and  open  a  trench  about  3  or  4  inches  deep.  Lay  the  cane 
in  this  and  peg  it  fast  and  then  wait  till  the  shoots  from  the 
eyes  have  grown  above  the  surface.  Then  fill  the  trench  with 
the  soil  and  pack  it  firmly.  In  the  fall  you  will  find  roots  made 
at  every  joint  and  each  shoot  can  be  separated  to  form  a  new 
vine. 

The  bunch  grapes  can  also  be  grown  in  the  same  way,  but 
are  usually  grown  from  cuttings.  The  cuttings  are  made  with 
three  joints  of  the  season's  growth  in  the  fall.  Cut  square 
across  under  the  lower  bud  and  2  inches  above  the  upper  one. 
Tie  the  cuttings  in  bundles  with  a  label  of  the  name  of  the  va- 
riety in  each  and  bury  them  outdoors,  upside  down,  till  spring. 
For  some  unknown  reason  they  root  better  in  spring  when 
buried  upside  down.  Then,  in  spring,  set  the  cuttings  in  rows 
for  cultivation,  setting  them  so  that  the  top  bud  is  about  an 
inch  above  the  surface.  Nearly  all  of  them  will  be  well  rooted 
in  the  fall  and  can  then  be  transplanted  to  the  vineyard  or 
garden. 


V.-PLANT  DISEASES  AND  INSECTS 

How  to  Treat  Each  Vegetable,  Berry,  Flower,  Etc.,  for 
Diseases  and  Pests 

(The  reader  will  note  that  here,  as  in  the  general  directions 
for  cultivating  the  various  vegetables  given  earlier  in  this  vol- 
ume, the  plants  are  treated  in  alphabetical  order.) 

THE  spray  pump  and  materials  for  fighting  the  various  dis- 
eases of  plants  and  for  warding  off  the  attacks  of  insect 
enemies  constitute  an  important  part  of  the  garden  equip- 
ment. Nearly  every  crop  we  grow  or  vine  or  shrub  we  plant 
has  its  diseases  and  its  insect  enemies. 

Experiment  station  investigators  have  studied  the  nature 
of  the  numerous  fungus  diseases  that  attack  plants,  and  have 
studied  the  life  history  and  habits  of  the  insects,  and  have 
worked  out  remedies  and  preventives. 

Bordeaux  mixture  is  the  most  generally  used  spraying  ma- 
terial for  prevention  of  the  various  mildews,  blights,  and  fungus 
diseases  in  general.  To  make  the  mixture,  slake  5  pounds  of 
fresh  lime  in  a  barrel,  and  then  add  water  enough  to  make  it  25 
gallons.  In  another  cask  hang  5  pounds  of  copper  sulfate  in  a 
flour-sack  in  hot  water  till  dissolved.  Then  make  this  25  gal- 
lons. Then  pour  the  two  together  slowly,  stirring  all  the  time, 
and  it  is  ready  to  strain  into  the  sprayer.    Use  while  fresh. 

The  uses  of  bordeaux  mixture  are  multitudinous.  It  is 
used  for  spraying  tomato  plants,  in  the  seedbed  and  several 
times  after  setting  out,  to  prevent  leaf  blight  and  rot.  It  is 
used  for  spraying  grape  vines  in  early  spring  and  twice  or  three 
times  after  blooming,  to  ward  off  mildew  and  rot.  It  is  used 
for  spraying  Irish  potatoes  to  prevent  blight,  and  with  V/2 
pounds  of  lead  arsenate  added  to  the  50  gallons,  it  will  prevent 
blight  and  destroy  the  Colorado  beetles  at  the  same  time.  It  is 
used  for  spraying  orchards  to  prevent  scab,  and  with  the  poison 
added  it  is  used  for  spraying  apple  trees  just  as  the  bloom  falls, 
to  destroy  the  codling  moth  larvae.  And  in  many  other  cases 
it  is  used  both  as  a  fungicide  and  an  insecticide. 


PLANT  DISEASES  AND   INSECTS  105 

Beans  (Snap)  are  subject  to  pod  rust  or  anthracnose.  This 
is  conveyed  generally  by  affected  seed,  and  if  healthy  seed  are 
planted  the  disease  may  be  prevented  by  keeping  the  plants 
covered  with  the  bordeaux  mixture. 

Beets — The  bordeaux  mixture  is  also  used  for  spraying 
beets  to  prevent  leaf  spot  and  root  rot. 

Cabbage  in  some  soils  are  affected  by  club  root,  large  knots 
forming  on  the  root  and  checking  the  growth,  caused  by  a  fun- 
gus growth.  This  disease  can  be  prevented  by  heavily  liming 
the  soil.  Aphides  or  plant  lice  also  infest  cabbages.  The  best 
thing  to  destroy  these  is  tobacco  in  some  form  or  the  commer- 
cial sulfate  of  nicotine  sold  as  "Black  Leaf  40"  by  seedsmen. 
This  will  destroy  plant  lice  of  all  kinds.  Aphine  is  another  sim- 
ilar article.  Of  late  years  another  disease  has  attacked  cabbages 
in  the  South.  This  is  called  "yellow  side"  and  other  common 
names.  It  is  caused  by  a  minute  fusarium  fungus,  and  so  far 
no  preventive  has  been  found,  and  all  that  can  be  recommended 
is  to  avoid  infected  soil  and  never  repeat  cabbages  after  cab- 
bages or  turnips  or  radishes.  The  green  worms  or  caterpillars 
which  riddle  the  leaves  of  the  late  cabbages  can  be  controlled 
by  spraying  with  lead  arsenate  1  pound  in  30  gallons  of  water.  I 
have  also  found  that  taking  a  watering  can  and  dousing  the 
cabbages  every  week  with  the  soapsuds  from  the  family  wash 
will  keep  the  worms  down  and  promote  the  growth  of  the  cab- 
bage. In  fact,  anything  that  promotes  a  rapid  growth  will 
drive  the  cabbages  ahead  of  the  worms.  The  harlequin  bug 
(murgantia  histrionica),  called  also  terrapin  bug,  is  one  of  the 
worst  enemies  of  the  cabbage,  and  no  spraying  that  is  strong 
enough  to  kill  them  can  be  used  without  also  damaging  the 
plants.  The  best  plan  is  to  sow  mustard  or  turnips  between 
the  cabbage  rows.  The  bugs  prefer  these  to  the  cabbages,  and 
will  gather  on  them  and  can  then  be  dosed  with  pure  kerosene, 
killing  both  plants  and  insects. 

Celery  is  affected  by  sun-scald  in  dry  situations  and  also 
by  leaf  blight.  This  can  be  prevented  by  spraying  with  the  bor- 
deaux mixture. 

Chrysanthemums  are  attacked  by  black  aphides,  and  the 
sulfate  of  nicotine  will  destroy  these,  and  spraying  with  bor- 
deaux mixture  will  keep  the  foliage  clear  of  fungus  leaf  spot. 


106  MASSEY'S  GARDEN  BOOK 

Cucumbers,  squash  and  cantaloupes  are  subject  to  mildew 
and  leaf  blight,  which  can  be  prevented  by  spraying  with  bor- 
deaux mixture.  But  for  these  a  milder  mixture  should  be 
used — 4  pounds  of  copper  sulfate  and  6  pounds  of  lime  in  50 
gallons  of  water.  The  worms  that  bore  into  cantaloupes  and 
cucumbers  can  be  destroyed  by  adding  iy2  pounds  lead  arsenate 
to  50  gallons  of  the  bordeaux  mixture,  thus  keeping  the  foliage 
good  and  destroying  the  worms  at  the  same  time.  The  spray- 
ing must  be  repeated  several  times. 

Egg  plants  are  subject  to  anthracnose  and  also  to  leaf  spot, 
both  of  which  can  be  prevented  by  using  healthy  seed  and  reg- 
ular spraying.  They  are  also  attacked  in  some  soils  by  the 
southern  bacterial  blight,  which  is  so  troublesome  with  the  to- 
mato in  the  South.  The  only  way  to  avoid  this  is  to  plant  in 
uninfected  soil.  Much  can  be  done  toward  breeding  a  blight- 
resistant  egg  plant  or  tomato  by  taking  seed  from  plants  that 
survive  while  others  around  them  die. 

Grapevines  are  subject  to  anthracnose  or  bird's  eye  rot. 
This  disease  affects  not  only  the  fruit  but  all  parts  of  the  vine. 
This  is  controlled  by  painting  the  dormant  canes  with  a  solu- 
tion of  sulfuric  acid  and  sulfate  of  iron  with  a  brush.  It  black- 
ens the  canes  and  this  shows  when  it  is  effective.  For  black 
rot  spray  the  vines  before  the  buds  swell  and  spray  the  trellis 
or  arbor,  too,  with  full  strength  bordeaux  mixture.  Then,  after 
blooming  it  over,  spray  again  and  repeat  every  ten  days  till  the 
grapes  are  half  grown.  This  will  also  prevent  mildew,  except 
the  powdery  mildew  which  is  best  treated  by  dusting  with  flow- 
ers of  sulfur. 

Onions  are  sometimes  attacked  by  mildew.  Destroy  all 
affected  plants  and  then  spray  with  bordeaux  mixture.  For 
the  onion  maggot,  open  a  small  furrow  along  the  rows  a  little 
distance  from  the  plants  and  pour  into  it  carbon  bi-sulfide  and 
cover  at  once. 

Garden  peas  in  hot  weather  often  mildew.  Bordeaux  mix- 
ture with  some  soapsuds  added  to  make  it  stick  better  will  cure 
this.  Peas  sown  for  a  fall  crop  are  more  apt  to  be  affected 
than  the  spring  crop. 

Dry  peas,  beans  and  corn  are  all  liable  to  be  attacked  by 


PLANT  DISEASES  AND  INSECTS  107 

weevils  which  have  laid  eggs  in  the  green  peas,  etc.,  these  now 
hatching  out  and  making  holes  in  the  seed.  To  destroy  the 
weevils  put  the  seed  in  a  close  box  and  then  pour  some  carbon 
bi-sulfide  in  a  pan  or  saucer  and  set  on  top  of  the  seed  and  close 
up  tight  till  the  mixture  has  all  evaporated.  The  fumes  are 
heavier  than  air  and  will  sink  through  the  mass  of  seed  and  kill 
the  weevils.  Keep  the  chemical  away  from  all  fire,  for  the 
fumes  will  explode  more  quickly  than  gasoline. 

Irish  potatoes  are  very  subject  to  insect  pests  and  fungus 
diseases.  In  the  spring  the  flea  beetles  make  the  starting  points 
for  the  early  blight,  causing  the  tops  to  die  unseasonably,  and 
the  late  blight  or  rot  affects  tops  and  tubers  alike.  Then,  the 
Colorado  beetle  is  always  with  us,  and  the  potato  grower  must" 
fight  for  his  crop.  The  early  blight  can  be  warded  off  by 
spraying  with  the  bordeaux  mixture,  and  the  tops  kept  healthy 
to  maturity.  At  the  same  time  we  can  destroy  the  Colorado 
beetle  and  the  flea  beetle  by  adding  iy2  pounds  of  lead  arsenate 
to  each  50  gallons  of  the  bordeaux  mixture.  The  lead  or  the 
zinc  arsenate  will  be  better  than  Paris  green,  since  these  forms 
of  arsenate  do  not  injure  the  leaves  as  Paris  green  sometimes 
does,  and  they  keep  mixed  with  the  bordeaux  better  than  Paris 
green,  and  also  stick  better.  The  spraying  should  begin  as 
soon  as  the  potatoes  are  well  above  ground,  for  the  Colorado 
beetle  begins  to  crawl  around  and  lay  eggs  as  soon  as  the  pota- 
toes appear,  and  while  these  old  beetles  eat  little,  they  do  eat 
some,  and  every  one  killed  means  the  prevention  of  hundreds 
of  the  destructive  larvae.  The  spraying  should  be  repeated 
every  ten  days — or  sooner,  if  rain  washes  off  the  poison.  Late 
Irish  potatoes  are  often  less  troubled  by  the  beetles  than  the 
early  crop,  but  the  spraying  should  not  be  omitted,  for  the  worst 
disease  of  the  potato  is  then  apt  to  attack  them — the  late  blight 
or  rot.  Early  and  regular  spraying  will  surely  prevent  this  dis- 
ease. 

Blackberries  and  raspberries  are  sometimes  attacked  by 
what  is  called  the  orange  rust,  the  stems  and  foliage  becoming 
covered  with  an  orange  colored  fungus.  The  only  thing  to  do 
in  this  case  is  to  dig  out  and  burn  every  infested  plant.  Spray- 
ing before  an  attack  may  prevent  it,  but  after  it  gets  there,  no 
amount  of  spraying  will  cure  it. 


108  massey's  garden  book 

Roses  are  attacked  by  mildew,  causing  the  leaves  to  curl 
and  wither.  Roses  also  sometimes  have  black  spots  on  the 
leaves  caused  by  a  different  fungus.  These  can  be  prevented  by 
early  and  repeated  spraying  with  bordeaux  mixture,  but  this 
makes  the  plants  unsightly,  and  it  is  better  to  begin  to  spray 
early  with  a  solution  of  formaldehyde  1  pint  in  30  gallons  of 
water.  The  rambler  roses  are  peculiarly  liable  to  mildew  and 
the  spraying  should  begin  as  soon  as  the  leaves  are  grown,  and 
then  after  the  bloom  is  over.  In  some  sections  the  rose  bug  or 
rose  chafer  is  the  worst  pest  of  the  season.  For  a  remedy,  be- 
gin to  spray  as  soon  as  the  plants  show  signs  of  bloom  with  a 
mixture  of  lead  arsenate  1  ounce  to  a  gallon  of  water  with  a 
quart  of  corn  syrup  to  make  it  stick.  If  rain  comes,  it  must  be 
at  once  repeated  and  kept  up  till  the  attack  is  over. 

Spinach  is  often  attackd  by  anthracnose  and  mildew,  but 
the  copper  sprays  cannot  be  used  on  these  edible  leaves,  and  we 
can  only  hope  that  the  plants  may  outgrow  the  trouble,  or  plow 
them  under  if  they  don't. 

Strawberries  are  subject  to  leaf  blight,  rust  or  mildew,  all 
which  may  be  prevented  by  spraying  with  bordeaux  mixture 
when  not  in  fruit.  They  are  also  attacked  by  various  insects 
that  can  be  sprayed  with  lead  arsenate  when  there  is  no  fruit  on 
the  plants.  But  the  worst  insect  is  the  weevil  that  attacks  the 
blossoms,  and  for  this  no  effective  remedy  has  yet  been  dis- 
covered. Consult  Farmers'  Bulletins  Nos.  80,  132  and  243  of 
the  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C,  which  will 
be  sent  on  request. 

Sweet  potatoes  suffer  chiefly  from  black  rot.  The  way  to 
avoid  this  is  never  to  bed  any  potatoes  showing  brown  blotches 
on  the  skin,  and  never  bed  twice  in  the  same  place.  To  get 
healthy  potatoes  for  bedding  make  cuttings  from  healthy  vines 
in  August  and  plant  these  to  make  a  crop  of  small  potatoes  for 
the  next  spring's  bedding.  With  proper  care  the  crop  can  be 
kept  free  from  disease  if  the  same  land  is  not  used  year  after 
year  for  the  crop. 

Tomatoes  are  subject  to  leaf  blight,  and  various  fungus 
rots,  all  of  which  can  be  prevented  by  early  and  repeated  spray- 
ing with  bordeaux  mixture,  except  what  is  called  the  tip  rot, 


PLANT   DISEASES  AND   INSECTS  109 

which  does  not  seem  to  be  caused  by  fungus  but  by  alternations 
of  drought  and  wet.  Spray  in  the  seedbed  and  then  after  set- 
ting the  plants  spray  every  ten  days  till  the  fruit  is  half  grown. 
Spray  with  lead  arsenate  for  the  Colorado  beetle.  The  big 
green  tobacco  worms  are  often  troublesome,  but  hand  picking 
will  easily  keep  them  down.  Tomatoes  are  also  affected  by 
two  species  of  wilt.  The  first  is  the  Fusarium  wilt.  This  can 
be  overcome  by  breeding  resistant  strains,  by  taking  seed  from 
a  plant  that  remains  healthy  while  others  around  it  die.  Then 
by  regular  selection  of  the  most  resistant  plants  for  seed,  we 
can  grow  a  healthy  crop.  The  other  and  worse  wilt  in  the 
South  is  the  bacterial  wilt.  This  wilt  manifests  itself  by  the 
sudden  collapse  of  the  plant  when  full  of  green  fruit.  There  is 
no  remedy  for  this  wilt,  and  all  that  can  be  done  is  to  plant  in 
uninfected  soil. 

Turnips  are  attacked  by  the  harlequin  or  terrapin  bug. 
About  the  best  preventive  is  to  sow  a  lot  of  mustard  early  be- 
fore sowing  the  turnips  and  nearby  the, turnips.  The  bugs  will 
gather  on  the  mustard  and  can  be  destroyed  by  spraying  with 
clear  kerosene.  This,  of  course,  destroys  the  mustard  also  and 
it  is  well  to  make  another  sowing  of  this  to  come  in  along  with 
the  turnips  to  gather  more  of  the  bugs.  Turnips  are  also  at- 
tacked by  plant  lice  or  aphides.  For  these  spray  with  a  strong 
decoction  of  tobacco  stems  in  water  or  with  some  of  the  con- 
centrated sulfate  of  nicotine  preparations.  There  are  several 
of  these  nicotine  preparations.  One  sold  under  the  name  of 
"Black  Leaf  40"  is  made  by  the  Tobacco  Products  Co.,  of 
Louisville,  Ky.  Another  is  known  as  Aphine,  and  is  made  by 
the  Aphine  Company,  of  Madison,  N.  J.  Most  of  the  leading 
seedsmen  keep  these  on  sale.  They  have  to  be  largely  diluted 
with  water  for  spraying.  But  bear  in  mind  that  no  treatment 
will  avail  completely  if  you  wait  for  disease  to  develop  on  your 
plants.  We  spray  to  prevent  rather  than  to  cure  the  fungous 
diseases  that  attack  our  garden  plants. 


VI— HANDY  REFERENCE  TABLES 

STANDARD  VARIETIES  OP  GARDEN  VEGETABLES 

The  amateur  gardener  is  often  puzzled  by  the  long  list  of  varieties  of  the 
different  vegetables  given  in  seed  catalogs.  Hence,  as  a  matter  of  assistance, 
I  give  the  following  list  of  varieties  that  have  proven  good.  Doubtless  there 
are  other  good  varieties,  but  many  of  those  given  in  the  catalogs  are  so 
much  alike  that  it  is  needless  to  extend  the  list. 

Asparagus— The  Palmetto  has  generally  proved  best. 

Snap  Beans — Black  Valentine  for  earliest,  Red  Valentine,  Burpee's  Green 
Pod  Stringless.  Celestial  for  wax  beans.  Of  the  pole  varieties,  Kentucky 
Wonder,  Berger's  Green  Pod  Stringless.  The  last  is  white  and  good  either 
for  snap  or  dry  beans. 

Lima  Beans — The  large  white  lima  beans  are  not  heavy  croppers  in  the 
South,  while  the  small  lima  or  butter  bean  is  a  good  producer.  Of  the  larger 
limas  the  Bush  Fordhook  is  one  of  the  best.  It  belongs  to  the  thick  or  potato 
lima  class.  Henderson's  Bush  Lima  belongs  to  the  small  lima  class.  I  have 
found  the  Fordhook  productive  and  good.  The  climbing  small  lima  grown  on 
chicken  wire  netting  will  give  an  abundant  crop,  and  to  my  taste  is  better 
than  any  large  lima. 

Beets— For  the  earliest  the  Egyptian  is  good,  but  soon  gets  poor.  The  old 
Bassano  beet  is  early  and  of  fine  quality;  its  light  color  and  big  top  have 
prevented  its  being  used  by  the  market  growers,  though  there  is  none  better 
for  family  use.  For  the  late  crop  Bastian's  Blood  turnip  is  good.  The  best 
variety  of  the  chard  beet  is  the  Lucullus.    This  is  grown  only  for  greens. 

Cabbage— For  fall  sowing  and  setting  the  Early  Jersey  Wakefield  is  best. 
Copenhagen  Market  is  good  to  sow  in  frames  in  winter  for  spring  setting  to 
follow  the  Wakefield;  it  runs  to  seed  if  sown  in  the  fall.  Early  Summer  and 
Succession  are  g©od  for  late  summer  and  early  fall.  For  late  winter  cabbage  a 
good  strain  of  the  Late  Flat  Dutch  is  as  good  as  any.  The  Danish  Ball  Head 
is  also  good.     Drumhead  Savoy  is  also  fine.  . 

Carrots— For  the  earliest  Early  French  Forcing,  then  Chantenay  and  for 
late  the  Danvers  Half-Long. 

Cauliflower— Extra  Early  Snowball. 

Celery— The  self  blanching  varieties  are  good  for  the  North  but  are  more 
ornamental  than  good.  Celery  is  a  late  and  winter  crop  in  the  South  and  only 
the  green  sorts  that  are  blanched  in  earth  should  be  used.  The  Giant  Pascal 
is  as  good  as  any. 

Corn— For  the  earliest  planting  the  Norfolk  Market  corn.  Then  follow  with 
the  sugar  corn,  Kendall's  Giant,  Country  Gentleman  and  Stowell's  Evergreen. 
The  extra  early  sugar  corns  do  not  amount  to  much  in  the  South. 

Cucumbers— Davis  Perfect  and  Klondyke  are  good.  The  first  named  is  also 
best  for  late  planting  for  pickles.  It  has  also  been  sold  under  the  name  of 
Challenge. 

Egg  Plants— Black  Beauty  is  the  earliest  and  most  productive.    New  York 
Improved  is  rather  a  more  robust  grower  and  makes  larger  fruits. 
fcndlve— Green  Curled. 

Horse  Radish— Maliner  Kren  or  Bohemian. 
Kale— Green  Curled  Scotch  or  Norfolk  Favorite  Curled. 
Kohl  Rabi— Early  White  Vienna. 
Leeks— Mammoth  Carentan  and  American  Flag. 

110 


HANDY  REFERENCE  TABLES  111 

Lettuce — For  fall  crop  in  open  ground,  Hanson.  For  frames  in  early  winter, 
Big  Boston.  For  spring  setting  outdoors,  Hanson  and  Wonderful.  For  a  curled 
leaf  lettuce  in  fall,  Grand  Rapids. 

Muskmelons— Better  known  as  Cantaloupes  in  the  South.  Eden  Gem  and 
Knight  for  green-fleshed  sorts.  Emerald  Gem  and  Tait's  Ideal  for  yellow- 
fleshed  varieties.     Honey  Dew  is  new  and  good. 

Mustard— Southern  Curled. 

Okra— Perkins  Mammoth,  and  Kleckley's  Favorite.  The  first  is  green- 
podded  and  the  last  white-podded. 

Onions — For  early  green  onions,  Norfolk  Queen  and  Pearl.  For  the  earliest 
ripe  onions,  Yellow  Potato.  For  sowing  under  glass  in  winter  and  trans- 
planting in  spring,  Prizetaker  and  Giant  Gibraltar.  For  early  spring  sowing  in 
open  ground,  Southport  Globe,  either  yellow  or  white. 

Parsley— Moss  Curled. 

Parsnips— Hollow  Crown. 

Peppers— For  sweet  peppers,  Pimiento,  Ruby  King.  For  hot  peppers,  Long 
Cayenne  and  Tobasco.     Do  not  plant  hot  and  sweet  near  each  other. 

Garden  Peas— Extra  Early  Nonpareil,  Sutton's  Excelsior,  Thomas  Laxton. 
For  late  peas,  Stratagem,  Telephone,  and  Champion  of  England. 

Potatoes— Early  Irish  Cobbler.  Beauty,  White  Bliss.  Late  potatoes,  Rural 
New  Yorker  No.  2,  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.  Plant  cold  storage  seed  of  the  early 
varieties  and  make  seed  for  the  next  spring  planting. 

Radishes— Early    White-Tipped    Scarlet    turnip,    Earliest   White   Globe.     For 
fall  and  winter  sorts,  Celestial  and  Chinese  Scarlet. 
Rhubarb — Linnaeus. 
Salsify— Sandwich  Island. 
Spinach— Round -Seeded  Savoy. 

Tomatoes— For  earliest,  Bonny  Best.  For  main  crop,  Success,  Matchless  or 
Globe. 

Turnips— For  early  spring  or  early  fall,  Milan;  second  early,  Strap  Leaf; 
for  winter,  Purple  Top  Globe  and  Yellow  Aberdeen;  for  ruta  bagas,  American 
Purple-Top. 

Watermelons— Mclver    Sugar    or    Wonderful,     Kleckley    Sweet,    and    Tom 

Watson. 


QUANTITIES  OF  SEED  NEEDED  FOR  100  FEET  OF  ROW 

Asparagus — One  ounce.  Lettuce— One  ounce. 

Beans,   bush— One   quart.  Mustard— One  ounce. 

Beans,  pole— One  pint  in  hills.  Okra— One  ounce. 

Beets— Two  ounces.  Onion— One  ounce. 

Beets,  chard— One  ounce.  Onion  Sets— Two  quarts. 

Canteloupes — Two  ounces.  Parsley— One  ounce. 

Carrots — One  ounce.  Parsnips— One  ounce. 

Celery— One  ounce.  Peas— One  quart. 

Corn— One  pint  in  hills.  Potatoes— Four  Quarts. 

Cucumbers — One  ounce  in  hills.              Radishes— One  ounce. 

Endive— One  ounce.  Salsify— Two  ounces. 

Kale — One  to  two  ounces.  Spinach— Two  ounces. 

Kohl  Rabl— One  ounce.  Squash— One  ounce. 

Leek— One  ounce.  Turnips— One  ounce. 


112  massey's  garden  book 

Of  cabbage  seed  sow  one  ounce  for  3000  plants;  of  tomato  seed,  one  ounce 
for  1500  plants;  egg  plant,  one  ounce  for  1000  plants;  watermelon,  one  ounce 
to  25  hills;  of  rhubard  roots  put  25  to  100  feet;  and  of  horsehadish,  100  to  100 
feet. 

STORING  VEGETABLES 

In  the  South  as  a  rule  not  enough  attention  is  given  to  storing  vegetables 
for  winter  use.    I  hope  the  following  hints  on  this  subject  will  be  found  useful: 

Late  Beets— These  are  better  off  in  the  rows  where  they  grow.  As  the 
weather  gets  cold  throw  a  light  furrow  to  each  side  of  the  rows. 

Carrots— Keep  in  same  way  as  beets.    The  frost  seems  to  sweeten  them. 

Late  Cabbage— These  should  head  in  late  November  or  early  December  to 
keep  well  in  winter.  When  really  cold  weather  seems  at  hand  turn  the  heads 
over  to  the  north  and  cover  the  stem  and  lower  part  of  the  head  with  soil.  The 
top  turned  away  from  the  winter  sun  is  left  open. 

Collards— Treat  in  same  way  as  late  cabbage. 

Celery— If  grown  in  the  Baltimore  bed  system,  the  final  covering  should  be 
made  just  as  hard  freezing  is  expected.  Then  cover  the  bed  well  with  pine 
straw,  using  bean  poles  or  corn  stalks  on  top  to  prevent  its  blowing  off.  If 
grown  in  rows  the  celery  should  be  lifted  and  set  upright  in  narrow  trenches 
made  as  deep  as  the  celery  is  tall.  Then  cover  with  two  planks  nailed  V-shape 
as  a  roof,  using  some  straw  in  cold  weather. 

Horseradish— Dig  the  roots  in  November.  Trim  the  side  roots  off  and  tie 
in  bunches  for  spring  planting.  Grind  the  main  roots  for  use  or  sale  or  ship 
and  sell  whole. 

Leeks— Let  these  remain  right  where  they  grew,  as  they  are  perfectly  hardy 
and  can  be  taken  up  as  needed  in  winter.  They  are  milder  than  onions  and 
make  a  nice  dish  till  green  onions  come  in  the  spring. 

Onions— Keep  in  a  totally  dark,  cold  place.  Spread  out  in  a  tight  outhouse 
and  covered  with  pine  straw,  they  will  be  all  right.  Slight  freezing  will  do  no 
harm  but  warmth  will  set  them  to  sprouting. 

Parsnips  and  Salsify— These  are  perfectly  hardy  and  should  remain  right 
where  they  grew. 

Irish  Potatoes— These  can  be  kept  in  heaps  covered  with  earth  enough  to 
prevent  actual  freezing,  but  maintain  a  temperature  little  above  freezing.  If 
in  a  cellar,  make  it  totally  dark  and  keep  the  temperature  as  low  as  practi- 
cable without  freezing. 

Spinach— To  keep  spinach  in  good  condition  for  cutting,  a  mulch  of  manure 
between  the  rows  is  very  good  and  will  keep  it  growing  fresh  all  winter. 

Turnips— Those  wanted  for  table  use  should  be  lifted,  trimmed  and  put  in 
heaps  and  covered  with  earth.  Those  sowed  for  spring  greens  can  be  better 
wintered  by  covering  with  green  pine  boughs. 

Sweet  Potatoes— These  are  best  kept  in  a  house  built  for  the  purpose  where 
a  high  temperature  can  be  maintained  till  the  potatoes  are  cured  and  then  a 
temperature  of  45  to  50  degrees  during  the  winter  and  total  darkness.  In  banks 
or  heaps  they  should  be  piled  on  a  thick  bed  of  pine  straw,  and  covered  with 
pine  straw  thickly.  Then  build  a  shed  over  the  banks  and  let  stand  till  the 
weather  threatens  to  turn  cold.  Then  cover  thickly  with  earth.  The  shed 
will  keep  the  hill  dry,  and  dry  earth  keeps  out  frost  better  than  wet. 


HANDY  REFERENCE  TABLES 


113 


THE  NUMBER  OF  PLANTS  TO  AN  ACRE. 

An  acre  contains  43,560  square  feet.  To  find  the  number  of  plants  in  an 
Acre  at  any  distance  apart,  multiply  the  one  distance  by  the  other  to  give  you 
the  square  feet  in  each  space  and  use  this  to  divide  43,5oO.  Thus  3x3  feet 
makes  9  square  feet,  which  divided  into  43,560  gives  4840,  the  number  of  plants 
in  the  acre  at  these  distances.  The  following  table  has  been  calculated  for 
almost  any  distance  ever  needed. 

No.  Plants 
Apart  Per  Acre 

inch 522720 

inches 174240 

inch 348480 

inches 116160 

inches 29040 

inches 19360 

inches 261360 

inches 15520 

inch 209088 

inches 34848 

inches 17424 

inches 8712 

inches 9970 

inches 58080 

inches 5808 

inches 6223 

inches 4148 

inches 3556 

inches 7790 

inches 174240 


Distance 

12 

by 

l 

12 

by 

3 

18 

bv 

1 

18 

by 

3 

18 

by 

12 

18 

by 

18 

24 

by 

12 

24 

by 

18 

30 

by 

1 

30 

by 

6 

30 

by 

12 

30 

by 

24 

40 

by 

30 

36 

by 

3 

36 

by 

30 

42 

by 

24 

42 

by 

36 

42 

by 

42 

48 

by 

18 

6 

by 

6 

No.  Plants 

Distance  Apart 

Per  Acre 

1   foot  by 

1   foot 

43560 

1   foot   by 

2   feet 

21780 

1   foot  by 

3   feet 

14520 

V/2  feet  b> 

'  V/2  feet 

19360 

2   feet   by 

2  feet 

10890 

2   feet    by 

3   feet 

7260 

3   feet   by 

3    feet 

4840 

4   feet   by 

1    foot 

10890 

4   feet   by 

2   feet 

5445 

4   feet   by 

3    feet 

3630 

4   feet   by 

4   feet 

2722 

5    feet   by 

5   feet 

1742 

6   feet   by 

6   feet 

1210 

7   feet   by 

7   feet 

888 

8   feet   by 

8   feet 

680 

9   feet   by 

9   feet 

537 

10   feet   by 

10  feet 

435 

12  feet   by 

12  feet 

302 

20   feet   by 

20  feet 

108 

25   feet   b>    25   feet 60 


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MASSEY  S  GARDEN  BOOK 


A  Fall  and  Winter  Garden:  How  to  Have  One 

Nearly  every  farmer  has  a  spring  and  summer  garden,  but  too  many  farm- 
ers fail  to  have  a  succession  of  vegetables.  Planting  for  a  fall  and  winter 
garden  should  really  be  as  important  a  matter  as  planting  for  a  spring  and 
summer  garden.  The  following  table  shows  when  and  what  to  plant  for  the 
fall  and  winter  garden: 


Vegetable 

Asparagus     

Beans    (bush)    ... 

Beets    

Cabbage  (late)... 

Carrots     

Cantaloupe    

Celery     

Corn  Salad   

Cucumber    

Kale     

Lettuce 

Mustard 

Onion    (seed)    .... 
Onion    (sets)    ... 

Parsley    

Peas     

Potatoes  (Irish)   . 
Potatoes    (sweet) 

Radish    

Spinach    

Salsify    

Tomato    

Turnip    


Time  of  Planting 

November    15 — December 

July— August    15    

June,    July    

July,  September 

June,  July   

June,   July   15    

August— September  

September— October    .... 

July    

October— November 
July    and    succession.... 

October    

October,  in  frames   

September— October 
August — September    .... 

August    

July— August   15    

June — July    15 

July    and    succession.... 
September— October 

July     

June— July     

July— September    


Depth  to  Plant 


6  to  8  inches 

2  inches 

Vi   inch 

Plants  2  to  4  inches 

y*   inch 

1   inch 

Seed   shallow,  plants 

2  to  3  inches 
Vi  inch 
lA  inch 
Yt  inch 
Va  inch 
Vi  inch 

1  inch 

2}4    inches 
Vi   inch 

2  inches 

3  to  4  inches 
3  to  4  inches 
XA   inch 

J4   inch 

54  to  1  inch 

Plants  3  to  4  inches 

1   inch 


What  to  Plant  in  the  Garden  each  Month 

The  following  table  was  prepared  for  the  central  part  of  North  Carolina. 
For  places  in  other  parts  of  the  South  the  time  of  planting  should  vary  from 
one  to  three  weeks,  according  to  location,  elevation,  etc.: 

Time  to  Plant 

(Plants  marked  with  a  "T"  are  to  be  sowed  in  beds  and  transplanted.) 

January— Garden  peas,  kale,  mustard,  Irish  potatoes,  radish. 

February— Asparagus  roots,  beets,  carrots,  herbs,  kale,  horse  radish,  Irish 
potatoes,  lettuce,  onion,  mustard,  pepper  (T),  early  peas,  rape,  radish,  spinach, 
spring  turnips,  strawberry  plant. 

March— Artichoke,  artichoke  roots,  asparagus  roots,  asparagus  seed,  beet, 
brussels  sprouts,  corn,  cabbage  (T),  carrot,  kale,  tgg  plant  (T),  herbs,  horse 
radish,  kale,  lettuce  (T),  mustard,  onion  (T),  onion  sets,  parsley,  parsnip,  Eng- 
lish peas,  Irish  potatoes,  pepper  (T),  rape,  radish,  spinach,  spring  turnip,  to- 
mato (T),   strawberry   plants. 

April— Artichoke,  artichoke  roots,  snap  beans,  lima  beans,  beet,  cabbage, 
broccoli  (T),  cabbage  (T),  carrot,  celery  (T),  cauliflower  (T),  corn,  cucumber, 
egg  plant  (T),  endive,  horse  radish,  kale,  kohlrabi,  lettuce,  melons,  kale,  mint 
roots,  onion,  okra,  onion  sets,  parsley,  parsnip,  peas,  pepper,  Irish  potatoes, 
radish,  salsify,  tomato  (T),  squash,  sweet  potatoes,  strawberry  plant. 


WHAT  TO  PLANT  EACH  MONTH  HI 

May— Snap  bean,  lima  beans,  beet,  cabbage  (T),  carrot,  corn,  celery  (T), 
cucumber,  kohlrabi,  kale,  egg  plant  (T),  endive,  lettuce  (T),  melons,  mint  roots, 
okra,  pepper  (T),  parsley,  parsnip,  peas,  pepper,  pumpkin,  radish,  rape,  salsify, 
squash,  tomato,  sweet  potatoes. 

Jane— Snap  beans,  lima  beans,  beet,  cabbage  (T),  collard  (T),  carrot,  celery 
(T),  cucumber,  corn,  lettuce,  melons,  okra,  pumpkin,  radish,  squash,   tomato. 

July— Snap  beans,  beet,  cabbage  (T),  carrot,  collard  (T),  corn,  cucumber, 
Scotch  kale,  lettuce,  okra,  pumpkin,  radish,  salsify,  turnip. 

August— Snap  beans,  beet,  Swiss  chard,  carrot,  collard  (T),  dandelion,  kale, 
kohlrabi,  mustard,  Irish  potatoes,  rape,  radish,  spinach,  turnip,  strawberry 
plants. 

September— Snap  beans,  beet,  cabbage  CD,  brussels  sprouts  (T),  carrot, 
cauliflower,  cress,  kale,  lettuce  (T),  mustard,  onion  (T),  onion  sets,  parsley, 
rape,    rutabaga,    radish,    spinach,    turnip,    strawberry   plants. 

October— Cabbage  (T),  cauliflower  (T),  kale,  lettuce  (T),  onion,  onion  sets, 
rape,   radish,   spinach,   turnip,   strawberry  plants,   turnip   for  salad. 

November— Broccoli  (T),  radish,  cauliflower  (T),  mustard,  rape,  spinach, 
turnip  for  salad. 

January— Beet,  forcing  carrot,  egg  plant,  radish,  tomato. 


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SPRAYING  AND  SPRAY  FORMULAS  12* 

Spraying  and  Spray  Formulas 

(From  Bulletin  No.  166,  South  Carolina  Experiment  Station,  "Home  Gardening") 

Spraying  is  just  as  necessary  as  cultivation  and  every  gardener  should 
therefore  be  prepared  to  combat  the  insects  and  fungus  diseases  which  attack 
his  plants.  Frequently  one  application  of  spray  solution  applied  at  the  right 
time  at  a  cost  of  a  few  cents  will  save  the  entire  crop. 

In  spraying  for  insects,  it  is  necessary  for  the  gardener  to  know  just  how 
the  different  insects  feed.  For  practical  purposes,  the  insects  may  be  divided 
into  two  classes,  (1)  those  which  obtain  their  food  by  sucking  the  juice  of  the 
plant.  Insects  of  this  type  cannot  be  destroyed  by  poisoning.  It  is,  therefore, 
necessary  to  use  a  contact  insecticide,  such  as  kerosene  emulsion.  (2)  In- 
sects which  obtain  their  food  by  gnawing  or  those  which  eat  holes  in  the 
leaves.  Insects  obtaining  their  food  in  this  way  may  be  destroyed  by  spray- 
ing with  a  poisonous  insecticide   such   as   Paris   green   or   arsenate  of  lead. 

If  one  has  a  small  orchard  in  connection  with  the  garden,  it  is  best  to  pur- 
chase a  barrel  pump  as  this  can  be  used  for  both  the  orchard  and  garden  work. 
If  only  garden  vegetables  are  to  be  sprayed,  then  a  knapsack  pump  or  some 
other  form  of  pump  that  will  throw  out  a  strong,  uniform  spray  may  be  used. 
For  the  small  garden,  a  pump  holding  from  two  and  one-half  to  three  gallons 
is  amply  large. 

The  following  formulas  are  given  for  the  convenience  of  the  gardener  who 
wishes  to  combat  the  insect  and  fungus  diseases  which  appear  upon  his  plants: 

Spray  Formulas 
Formula  No.  1.    Bordeaux  Mixture.    (Fungicide.) 

Copper   sulphate   (blue   stone) 4   lbs. 

Stone   lime    5    lbs. 

Water  50  gals. 

Dissolve  the  copper  sulphate  in  a  small  quantity  of  hot  water  in  an  earthen 
or  wooden  vessel  and  then  dilute  to  25  gallons.  Slake  the  lime  in  a  tub  or  half 
barrel,  adding  the  water  gradually  so  as  to  slake  thoroughly.  When  the  lime 
is  in  solution  dilute  to  25  gallons.  The  two  solutions  are  now  poured  into  a 
barrel  at  the  same  time  thoroughly  mixed.  The  solution  should  be  strained 
thoroughly  before  it  is  put  in  the  spray  pump. 

Formufa  No.  2.    Dilute  Bordeaux.    (Fungicide.) 

Copper   sulphate   (blue  stone) 2  lbs. 

Stone  lime  4  lbs. 

Water  50  gals. 

Prepare  in  same  way  as  formula  number  one. 

Formula  No.  3.— Kerosene  Emulsion.    (Contact  Insecticide.) 

Hard   soap  shaved  fine   y2  lb. 

Water     1      gal. 

Kerosene   oil    2      gals. 

Dissolve  the  soap  in  one  gallon  of  boiling  water.  Remove  from  the  fire  and 
add  two  gallons  of  kerosene  oil  while  the  water  is  hot.  Churn  this  solution 
for  10  minutes  with  a  foot  or  force  pump,  during  which  time  it  should  change 
to  a  creamy  white  mass.  Keep  this  as  a  stock  solution  using  one  gallon  to  10 
gallons  of  water  for  soft  bodied  insects. 

Formula  No.  4.— Paris  Green.    (Poisonous  Insecticide.) 

Paris    green    yA  lb. 

Slake    lime    20     lbs. 

This  is  to  be  used  dry.  It  is  dusted  over  the  plants  by  placing  in  an  ordi- 
nary flour  sack,  which  is  tied  to  the  end  of  a  hoe  handle.  The  bag  is  held 
over  the  plants  and  slightly  jarred  by  striking  the  handle  with  the  hand. 
Paris  green  sifts  through  the  bag  and  settles  over  the  plants. 


124 


MASSEY  S  GARDEN  BOOK 


Formula  No.  5.— Paris  Green.    (Poisonous  Insecticide.) 

Paris  green  Va  lb • 

Stone  lime 4     lbs. 

Water  50  gals. 

Slake  the  lime  in  a  small  quantity  of  water  and  then  make  a  thin  paste  of 
the  Paris  green  by  adding  a  small  quantity  of  water  and  stirring.  This  is  then 
added  to  the  lime  and  thoroughly  mixed. 

Formula  No.  6.— Formaldehyde.    (For  potato  scab.) 

Formaldehyde  (40%  solution)   8  oz. 

Water  15  gals. 

Place  the  potatoes  in  a  coarse  sack  and  suspend  in  this  solution  for  two 
hours.  The  potatoes  are  then  removed  and  allowed  to  dry  before  being  planted. 
This  treatment  is  not  necessary  unless  the  potatoes  are  infested  with  the 
disease. 

BULLETINS  ON  GARDEN  CROPS. 

The  following  "Farmers'  Bulletins"  can  be  had  by  applying  to  the  "Division 
of  Publications,  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C." 

157— Propagation   of   Plants.  847— Potato      Storage      and     Storage 

218— School    Garden.  Houses. 

232— Okra:   Its   Culture  and  Uses.  853— Home     Canning     of     Fruits     and 

254— Cucumbers.  Vegetables. 

256— Preparation  of  Vegetables  for  the  854— Strawberry    Culture  in  Tennessee, 

Table.  Kentcky  and  West  Virginia. 

289—  Beans.  856 — Control    of    Diseases    and    Insect 
324— Sweet   Potatoes.  Enemies     of     the     Home     Vege- 

354— Onion    Culture.  table   Garden. 

434— Home   Production  of  Onion  Seeds  868— Increasing    the     Potato    Crop    by 

and   Sets.  Spraying. 

460— Frames    as    a     Factor    in    Truck  871— Fresh    Fruits    and    Vegetables    as 

Gardening.  Conservers      of      Other      Staple 

533— Good   Seed   Potatoes   and   How  to  Foods. 

Produce   Them.  879— Home  Storage  of  Vegetables. 

544— Potato-Tuber    Diseases.  881— Salting,    Fermentation,    and   Pick- 

551— Cultivation  of  American  Ginseng.  ling   of   Vegetables. 

642— Tomato    Growing    in    the    South.  884— Saving    Vegetables    Seed    for    the 

664— Strawberry      Growing      in      the  Home    and    Market    Garden. 

,„    e,Sout1\T.       „  901— Everbearing   Strawberries. 

<S~rqua-sh7me  *?*%'  •   *       -a  925-Cabbage    Diseases. 

694 — Cultivation     of     Peppermint    and  MA    ~     ,     .  it      0     ,, 

Spearmint.  934— Gardening  in   the  South. 

714— Sweet-Potato    Diseases.  936— The    City     and    Suburban    Vege- 
753— Commercial      Handling,      Grading,  table    Garden. 

and    Marketing    of    Potatoes.  970— Sweet   Potato  Storage. 

766—  The    Common    Cabbage    Worm.  979— Preparation    of    Strawbeiries    for 
829—  Asparagus.  Market. 

837— The  Asparagus  Beetles  and  Their  984— Farm  and  Home  Drying  of  Fruits 

Control.  and  Vegetables. 


[We  are  indebted  to  Doubleday,  Page  and  Company,  Garden  City,  New  York, 
publishers  of  many  excellent  agricultural  books,  a  Garden  and  Farm  Almanac, 
and  Country  Life  in  America,  for  permission  to  reproduce  the  two  tables  on 
pages  120,  121  and  122,  entitled  "Plant  Diseases  and  Their  Treatment"  and 
"Insect  Enemies  and  How  to  Conquer  Them."] 


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HOW  TO  HAVE  A  PRETTY  LAWN 

I.— If  You  Can  Water  Regularly  and  Give  Good  Attention. 

To  those  who  are  willing  to  give  their  lawns  the  proper  start  and  subse- 
quent care,  we  suggest  the  following  procedure:  see  that  the  soil  is  well- 
drained  and  all  rocks,  stumps,  and  trash  are  removed,  and  if  the  surface 
is  irregular  with  ridges  and  sinks,  a  drag  should  be  used  to  produce  a  per- 
fectly level  surface,  or  even  slope.  Give  the  area  a  heavy  application  of 
stable  manure  in  the  spring,  at  the  rate  of  fifty  two-horse  wagon  loads  to  the 
acre,  and  turn  under  deeply;  put  on  a  heavy  application  of  water-slaked  lime 
or  of  ground  limestone,  at  the  rate  of  about  three  tons  to  the  acre,  and  har- 
row repeatedly  with  a  cutaway  harrow;  continue  this  harrowing  every  two  or 
three  weeks  during  the  summer.  About  September  15  to  the  first  of  October, 
add  ground  bone  or  cottonseed  meal  at  the  rate  of  1,000  pounds  to  the  acre, 
and  harrow  again,  following  the  cutaway  with  a  tooth  harrow.  After  this  give 
a  finishing  touch  by  raking  by  hand  with  a  fine-tooth  rake.  When  this  is  done 
sow,  at  the  rate  of  100  pounds  per  acre,  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  Kentucky 
bluegrass,  creeping  bent  grass,  sheep  fescue,  and  perennial  rye  grass,  and 
cover  with  a  compact  cedar  brush,  or  by  raking  again  by  hand. 

In  early  spring  when  the  ground  is  not  too1  wet  run  a  roller  over*  the  lawn, 
and  begin  to  use  a  mower  as  soon  as  the  grass  is  high  enough  to  cut.  The  rye 
grass  will  need  cutting  once  or  twice  during  the  late  fall.  Look  out  for  moles, 
and  kill  them.  Water  frequently  during  the  first  summer,  and  take  out  the 
weeds  by  hand.  In  October  give  another  top-dressing  of  cottonseed  meal  or 
bone  meal;  look  out  for  thin  and  poor  spots,  and  sow  more  seed  after  scratch- 
ing the  surface  with  a  rake,  giving  extra  fertilization  to  these  places.  This 
will  give  the  lawn  a  start.  Its  successful  continuance  will  require  an  equal 
amount  of  attention  and  care. 

In  watering  the  lawn  do  not  sprinkle  lightly  every  day,  but  water  thor- 
oughly every  four  or  five  days. 

II.— Use  Bermuda  and  Rye  Grass  in  Coastal  Plain,  or  If  You  Can't  Water 

Regularly. 

Bermuda  is  a  sun-loving  plant,  and  in  shaded  lawns  will  not  cause  much 
trouble.  But  in  open  sunny  lawns  in  the  South  it  is  the  exception  when  Ber- 
muda does  not  enter  and  gain  the  mastery.  In  such  a  case  the  wise  man  will 
accept  the  decree  of  fate,  and  console  himself  with  the  thought  that  Bermuda 
will  give  a  sod  that  for  firmness,  evenness,  and  duration  cannot  be  surpassed 
in  the  South.  Furthermore  it  has  the  exceedingly  great  advantage  of  not 
requiring  water. 

It  is,  moreover,  not  difficult  to  superimpose  a  winter  green  lawn  on  the 
brown  Bermuda  by  sowing  in  October  a  generous  amount  of  perennial  rye 
grass  on  the  sod,  adding  at  the  same  time  a  good  application  of  bone  meal  or 
cottonseed  meal.  The  rains  will  beat  the  seeds  down  to  a  foothold,  and  their 
prompt  growth  will  offset  the  approaching  passage  of  the  Bermuda  to  its 
winter  brown.  The  rye  grass,  while  a  temporary  perennial,  will  disappear  in 
part  during  the  following  season,  and  should  be  sowed  again  each  fall.  In 
open  places  under  average  conditions,  we  must  accept  this  as  the  best  solution 
of  our  lawn  problem  in  the  coastal  plain  region  of  the  South.  A  Bermuda 
grass  lawn  is  best  started  by  sowing  the  chopped  up  runners  in  March. 

III.— In  Any  Case,  Buy  and  Use  a  Lawn  Mower. 

In  any  case,  buy  a  lawn  mower,  and  you  will  have  the  one  thing  needful 
to  improve  the  appearance  of  your  home  100  per  cent.  Simply  get  rid  of  the 
sprouts  and  big  weeds  and  run  the  mower  over  whatever  comes.  The  spon- 
taneous summer  grasses,  even  if  mixed  to  some  extent  with  weeds,  will  give 
you  a  pretty,  green  expanse  that  you  will  be  proud  of.— Prof.  W.  C  Coker. 

137 


i& 


